MLK Jr. Lecture reminds us why ‘We Still Dream’

In a divisive political era, Cheryl Brown Henderson reminded attendees at Carolina’s 44th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture and Awards ceremony why this year’s theme was “We Still Dream.”

“The fear that people are acting on now is that the globe is coming to their doorstep,” Henderson said to the Memorial Hall audience as part of her keynote speech, “Voices of Legacy: Brown v. Board of Education,” at the Jan. 30 event.

Henderson, a daughter of the lead plaintiff in the historic civil rights case and founding president of The Brown Foundation, spoke about the legacy of not only Brown v. Board but also those who opposed integration of schools. She said she believes that legacy has affected modern-day voting rights, opportunities for students of color and even current discourse on public school education.

“The fear is equality, that there is competition,” Henderson said. “The fear is that we take our rightful place as people of color in this country.”

Henderson referenced the work of King in a message of how today’s students could make all the difference.

“As far as I am concerned, you are the dream Dr. King spoke of, that my mother and father worked to make possible,” Henderson said. “The Civil Rights movement was a youth movement … We count on the young people in this country to get out and make the difference that needs to be made.”

One of those young people who’s making a difference is Jaleah Taylor, student body president and Harvey Beech scholar. In her speech at the event, she further elaborated on this year’s theme.

“‘We Still Dream’ is a call to action,” Taylor said. “It honors Dr. King’s vision and inspires us to adapt and evolve as advocates for justice. It challenges us to address today’s struggles with innovation, while staying rooted in compassion and respect for human dignity.”

Awards and performances

Several distinguished members of the Carolina community received awards at the event. Patricia Harris and Michelle Robinson were named this year’s Unsung Heroes.
This honor is given to community collaborators and advocates for social justice issues who demonstrate commitment to cultivating an inclusive community at Carolina.

Working in several roles at Carolina, Harris spent more than 20 years in higher education and served on numerous boards, including the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council and National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. Robinson is an associate professor of American studies at Carolina and interim director of the Faculty Fellows Program at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. Her courses include Women and Detective Fiction, Radical Religious Communities and The Ethics of Stand-Up Comedy.

Michelle Robinson was one of this year’s Unsung Hero honorees. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

The Harvey Beech Scholarship, named for the first African American to graduate from the UNC School of Law, was awarded to Julianna Mercado, Kristina Smith, Eden Aulis Campos and Sierra Flynn-Nesbeth.

Both Laney Crawley and Destiny Okonkwo were awarded the MLK Jr. Scholarship. Crawley is a junior majoring in journalism and serves as editor-in-chief of The Daily Tar Heel, the first African American woman to hold the role. Okonkwo is a third-year computer science and psychology major. She leads in organizations such as UNC Sis2Sis, a club dedicated to uplifting, mentoring and fostering community for Black women on campus.

The night also featured musical performances, including Carolina alum Kristen Marion and Tray Good, student success and well-being coordinator, singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Nick Courmon also performed two poems. The evening concluded with Marion returning to the stage to sing a musical rendition of the Langston Hughes poem “Hold Fast to Dreams.”

Tray Good and Kristen Marion began the ceremony by singing a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)