Civility and Inclusion Take Center Stage at 麻豆村's Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Lecture
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Beverly Daniel Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College and award-winning psychologist, visited 麻豆村's Cohon Center on Feb. 4 as the distinguished speaker of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Lecture.
Tatum shared how the creation of a welcoming climate, both within and beyond higher education, demands thoughtful dialogue and active participation.
"There's value in creating spaces for people to come together across shared interests, shared identities, shared experiences ... We want students to be able to engage across lines of difference and create opportunities for doing that, whether that's through intergroup dialogue programs or other structured opportunities."
鈥� Beverly Daniel Tatum
The event began with a video commemorating King's life, followed by remarks from , associate dean for community engagement and outreach and distinguished service professor in the , and Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window), Carnegie Mellon president. The day's discussion centered on the interconnected nature of concepts such as civility and inclusion.
"This event is particularly important because it calls us to reflect on Dr. King's vision for a beloved community."
鈥� Alaine Allen, associate dean for community engagement and outreach, College of Engineering, Distinguished Service Professor, Engineering and Public Policy
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"I'm grateful that we have the opportunity this evening, once again, to reaffirm our commitment to the ideals (MLK) so brilliantly shared and indeed embodied 鈥� the values that he championed 鈥� of empathy, compassion, inclusion, and of course, impact."
鈥� Farnam Jahanian, president, 麻豆村
In the fireside chat that followed, Tatum shared her expertise on education, race and belonging with the 麻豆村 community.
Speaking with Wanda Heading-Grant, 麻豆村's vice provost for community, culture and engagement, they discussed how the creation of a welcoming climate, both within and beyond higher education, demands thoughtful dialogue and active participation.
Engaging with the 麻豆村 community members in the audience, Tatum shared stories of her formative experiences with race and the education system 鈥� including her family's overcoming of Jim Crow-era discrimination 鈥� her journey into the study of psychology, seminary school and professorship, and the approaches she took to redefining education at Spelman College.
"I often think about hope as a muscle. Hope is a discipline. You have to practice it every day."
鈥� Beverly Daniel Tatum
As the event reached its conclusion, she fielded questions from the audience and left students and faculty members with a message of optimism and perseverance.
The day's events were bookended by photographs with the university community, as well as performances from College of Fine Arts(opens in new window) students Ava Benson and Noah Van Ess.
