Annual MLK Day Celebration Inspires Hope and Action

Professor and keynote speaker Brandon Frame embraces King’s ideas as a roadmap for the future

Members of the Sacred Heart University community recently gathered on campus to commemorate and celebrate the life and words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year’s event centered around unyielding hope. Those who spoke at the annual ceremony focused on how the SHU community can hold onto the dream of equality that King held dear.

As students, staff and faculty filed into the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts, they were welcomed by Robert Johnson ’16, ’17, executive director of multicultural affairs at SHU. Johnson spoke about King’s legacy and said the SHU event should be a stepping stone to enacting real change in the community.

Maurice Nelson, the University’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, echoed Johnson’s message when he said, “This work is not optional, but foundational for an institution grounded in faith.” He told all those in attendance that they must remain committed to fighting any oppression they witness.

President John J. Petillo also addressed the crowd, noting the importance of honoring King’s legacy. “This day is much more than a holiday or day of remembrance, but a reminder of the conscience and values that King lived by and taught,” he said. “King lived for justice and strived to build a culture of respect for one another.”

Following the opening addresses, Feleicia Jeter, SHU’s assistant director of multicultural student retention and engagement, introduced Brandon Frame, who gave the keynote address. Frame is a professor of social and emotional learning at SHU, and at his core, he is a leader and change maker. He is the founder and chief visionary officer of TheBlackManCan, Inc., a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing education and support for young men and boys of color.

Frame spoke energetically to the crowd about the value of King’s words in today’s society. He focused his speech on King’s ideas about economics and family. “We must put people over profit,” Frame said. “True progress comes when we treat those among us who have the least with the respect they deserve.”

He also shared with the crowd a very important message. “King’s words and teachings are not meant to condemn us but to wake us up to create real change in our lives,” he said.

Following Frame’s speech, Johnson joined him onstage for a discussion about how to enact King’s teachings in daily life. Frame said change begins close to home. “We must change the community before we change the world,” he said. “We must combat the rampant rise of individualism by asking how we can put others before ourselves.”

Jeter left those in attendance with a reminder to carry on King’s work. “We must continue to show resilience to oppression and work towards future dreams becoming reality,” she said.

Pictured above: speaker Brandon Frame