Dear Families,
On May 23, 1962, Martin Luther King spoke at Dartmouth. As the College celebrates the national King holiday, Dr. King's words at Dartmouth bear repeating:
.....I would like to use as a subject from which to speak this evening the future
of race relations in the United States. There are three basic attitudes that one
can take toward the question of progress in race relations. The first attitude that
can be taken is that of extreme optimism. The extreme optimist would contend
that we have made great strides in the area of race relations and he will point
proudly to the gains that have been made in the area of civil rights over the
last few decades. From this he would conclude that the problem is just about
solved now and that we can sit down comfortably by the wayside and wait on
the coming of the inevitable. The second position that can be taken is that of
extreme pessimism. The extreme pessimist in race relations would contend that
we have made only minor strides over the last few years. And he would argue
that the deep rumblings of discontent from the South, the presence of federal
troops in Little Rock, Arkansas, the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan and the
birth of white citizens councils are all indicative of the fact that we are going
backwards instead of forwards and that we are creating many more problems
than we are solving. From this the extreme pessimist would conclude that there
can be no real progress in the area of race relations.
Now it is interesting to notice that the extreme optimist and the extreme
pessimist agree on at least one point: they both feel that we must sit down and
do nothing in the area of race relations. The extreme optimist says, “Do nothing
because integration is inevitable.” The extreme pessimist says, “Do nothing
because integration is impossible.” But there is a third position that can be taken;
namely, the realistic position. The realist in the area of race relations seeks to
combine the truths of two opposites while avoiding the extremes of both. So the
realist would agree with the optimist that we have come a long, long way but he
would balance this by agreeing with the pessimist that we have a long, long way
to go before this problem is solved. And it is this realistic position that I would
like to use as a basis for our thinking together as we think of the future of race
relations in the United States. We have made significant strides. We have come a
long, long way. But we have a long, long way to go......
Dartmouth's mission is to prepare the most promising students for a lifetime of learning and responsible leadership. Our core values encourage independence of thought within a culture of collaboration, and embrace diversity with the knowledge that it significantly enhances the quality of a Dartmouth education. Our MLK Celebration, built around the theme "Standing at the Threshold", features a wide variety of opportunities to consider our values, reflect on Dr. King's legacy and to look to the future. I hope you'll encourage your students to take advantage of the arts performances, films, lectures, activities, and the Tucker Center's annual MLK Multi-Faith Celebration featuring the New Yorker poetry editor Dr. Kevin Young and the ever-popular Dartmouth Gospel Choir. In addition, I hope you’ll encourage your students to take advantage of the many courses, workshops, programs and activities on campus throughout the year that promote understanding across difference, and prepare our students to become leading citizens in the 21st century.
With very best wishes for 2019-
Kathryn Lively
Interim Dean of the College
Professor of Sociology
South House Professor