Vanderbilt University 2012

Fostering The Beloved Community

But the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends. It is this type of understanding good will that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles….

Dr. Martin Luther King, “Facing the Challenge of a New Age,” 1956

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemoration

The Vanderbilt community celebrates MLK Day 2012 as a day of celebration and service. Classes will be canceled and students will participate in a number of service activities over the weekend leading into the Monday commemoration activities.  These activities will include participating in the Nashville’s citywide march and retracing the steps of the city’s civil rights activists.

Events commemorating King’s legacy and highlighting the relevance of his work today will include a keynote address by U.S. Congressman and Civil Rights Leader John Lewis.  Other events will include the annual MLK Essay and Oratorical Contest, a candlelight vigil and numerous service activities throughout the weekend preceding the holiday.