On June 16th, 1963 the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the Baccalaureate Address at Keuka College. A recording of that speech was uncovered recently and will be shared at a listening event tonight. A public discussion will follow led by Dr. James K. Evans of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Dr. Evans believes the message of the speech resonates 55 years later in an increasingly polarized society.
“Are you able to see other people with whom you have fundamental disagreements, are you able to see anything in them that says that you share a sort of common humanity with them? Are you able to see that?”
The speech draws from Dr. King’s “Three Dimensions of a Complete Life” sermon. While many of the words are available in transcripts elsewhere, Dr. Evans appreciates both the opportunity to hear them delivered by Dr. King and to continue to tell these stories as we approach the 50th anniversary of his assassination.
“Stories that do not get told over and over again eventually die. That’s why it’s important for us to continue to tell this story, because the stories that King told were stories about the past, present, and future of humanity.”
The public broadcast of Dr. King’s speech happens at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 20th in Norton Chapel on the campus of Keuka College. More information is on their website.