Out of chaos into community

A bitter cold January morning didn’t daunt the Denison students, staff, and faculty who celebrated the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. A full day of events expounded on this year’s theme, which was drawn from King’s book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?

For Richard Brown, associate dean of Student Life and director of the Center for Belonging and Inclusion, King’s answer to the question posed by the book’s subtitle was clear. “He wanted a deeply inclusive, loving community rather than segregated chaos, hope rather than despair — raising up America and making the world over.”

Classes were canceled so students, faculty, and staff could spend the day connecting to King’s message through music and marching, food and fellowship, and teach-ins and workshops. Activities launched promptly at 8:30 a.m. with a panel discussion and resource fair that targeted building community through service and civic engagement.

Participants assembled in Slayter for the traditional MLK Legacy March to the Mitchell Center, paying homage to King’s celebrated marches for justice and civic action. Music by Urban Strings Columbus and Denison’s DUwop a capella group serenaded the crowd as they flowed through Mitchell’s doors and enjoyed a brunch prepared by Denison Hospitality. President Weinberg, members of senior administration, and student leaders spoke on the importance and relevance of King’s teachings and example.

The afternoon was punctuated by a series of workshops that explored King’s lessons through fine and performing arts, an intriguing interpretation of King as a “Trekkie,” and topics as varied as academic freedom, community-building in a digital world, collective action, and compassion and diversity.

The University of Notre Dame’s success in the college football playoffs meant the Denison campus had to wait a day to hear from keynote speaker Leonard Moore, a professor of American History at the University of Texas and author of Teaching Black History to White People. Moore’s son plays for the Fighting Irish, and the national championship game against the Ohio State University Buckeyes was held that evening in Atlanta.

Moore was worth the wait. He energized his audience during a rousing keynote about his experiences as a teacher. His talk — See the Need. Have Compassion. Do Something About it. — echoed his own history of addressing the needs of his students creatively and powerfully, profoundly impacting their futures.