Honoring Dr. King: Courage, Community, and the Common Good

This Monday, January 19, we observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day—a moment to honor a life devoted to nonviolence, moral courage, and the work of building a more just society. It is also a day to renew our own commitments to justice, dignity, and unity.

During my years working in Alabama, I visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, just across from the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. Standing in that space—where exhibits confront the violence that tried to silence a movement—was a powerful reminder that courage and conscience can bend the arc of history. I also visited The King Center in Atlanta, where Dr. King and Coretta Scott King rest beside a reflecting pool and an eternal flame. The stillness there speaks to a truth that guides me: Enduring change is born of steadfast love, disciplined action, and hope that never wavers.

Dr. King’s legacy calls us beyond commemoration to participation. At Saint Mary’s, that participation is grounded in our Lasallian principles: Respect for All Persons, Inclusive Community, Quality Education, Faith in the Presence of God, and Concern for the Poor and Social Justice. It is visible when we listen across differences, when we protect the dignity of each person, and when we align our learning with service and the common good.

The stillness there speaks to a truth that guides me: Enduring change is born of steadfast love, disciplined action, and hope that never wavers.

— SMC President Roger J. Thompson

I encourage you to mark the day in ways that deepen understanding and strengthen community. Read or revisit “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Engage in dialogue that is honest and charitable. Take part in our campus MLK Jr. Day of Service, or choose another meaningful way to serve. Check on a friend or colleague. Small acts, repeated together, help build the communities we hope to inhabit.

The following day, Tuesday, January 20, is the National Day of Racial Healing. I invite our campus to use that day to reflect on the relationships, practices, and policies that either foster belonging or fray it—and to take one practical step that widens the circle of care here at Saint Mary’s.

May this holiday renew in each of us the courage to seek truth, the humility to learn, and the resolve to act for the common good. Thank you for all you do to help our College grow in truth, wisdom, and love.

Sincerely,

Roger J. Thompson, EdD
President