KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 17, 2025

Against the backdrop of a new exhibit honoring the “foot soldiers” of the Civil Rights Movement, the KSU Convocation Center filled on Friday to commemorate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the MLK Legacy Breakfast Celebration.

The celebration served as the kickoff for MLK Week, an annual event honoring the late civil rights icon. In addition to the breakfast, events are scheduled throughout next week to mark King’s legacy of promoting human rights, peace and service.

Keynote speaker T. Dallas Smith, an accomplished businessman and chairman of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, reminded attendees to heed King’s advice that love wins.

An Atlanta native, Smith shared anecdotes about his experience as young Georgia State University graduate navigating the business world in the face of discrimination. Echoing King’s words that “hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that,” Smith spoke of his experience bridging racial divides by meeting others with kindness.

“The lesson is about getting to know people for yourself,” he said. “You may be the one person who can change someone’s heart.”

During the event, KSU President Kathy S. Schwaig paid tribute to the late Shelby Wilkes, a Kennesaw State alumnus who founded the KSU Black Alumni Society. Wilkes passed away in December just shy of the affinity group’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Schwaig encouraged attendees to enjoy a new traveling exhibit debuting in KSU’s Department of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books. The exhibit, which flanked both sides of the stage, documents the champions of the Civil Rights Movement, many of them rooted in Atlanta churches along Auburn Avenue and within the Atlanta University Center. Titled “The Fight for Civil Rights,” the exhibit was curated by students under the guidance of history professor Jennifer Dickey and Catherine Lewis, associate vice provost.

Among the individuals documented in the exhibit is Deanne Bonner, who served as president of the Cobb County branch of the NAACP for two decades. Bonner, who was in attendance for Friday’s celebration, was met with applause.

Schwaig concluded her remarks by inviting guests to make a career of humanity, as King once said.

“That’s the charge and challenge his legacy leaves us, individually and collectively,” she said. “The work is never truly done so we may all endeavor to make careers of humanity.”

Activities will continue across campus and throughout the community during MLK Week. While campus is closed on Monday for the holiday, a group of KSU student volunteers will pack kits with items including soap, socks, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, and much more for Project U First, a social service organization supporting shelters, foster homes and schools in low-income areas.

“Following the service project, Project U First’s founder, Erica Wright, will lead a reflective dialogue with the student volunteers on the importance of service and transforming Dr. King’s life and teachings into community action,” said Myah McDonald, program coordinator in KSU’s Department of Student Volunteerism and Service. “SVS has previously partnered with Project U First for MLK Day, and we are honored to continue Dr. King’s legacy of service alongside Project U First.”

On Wednesday at 1 p.m., the annual Six Voices Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is scheduled in the Carmichael Student Center featuring a mix of student, faculty, and alumni presenters who will have up to 10 minutes each to reflect on an MLK quote, speech, story, or action and explain how his work impacted them or a particular community.

Continuing the Dream is the title of an MLK Week event Thursday from 1-3 p.m. on the Marietta Campus that brings the Department of Student Leadership, Unity Center, Student Engagement and Belonging Centers, and student organizations together to celebrate and honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Continuing the Dream lets participants engage with activities and opportunities that focus on the importance of community engagement, service, and leadership.

King was the most prominent leader in the U.S. civil rights movement during the 1960s when he was assassinated in 1968. The MLK federal holiday was first celebrated in 1986, and Kennesaw State annually honors his legacy.

– Story by Travis Highfield and Gary Tanner

Photos by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.