Mission statement for Duke's 2003 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration
"The revolutionary spirit is already world-wide. If the anger of the peoples of the world at the injustice of things is to be channeled into a revolution of love and creativity, we must begin now to work, with all of the peoples, to shape a new world."
--The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., "The Trumpet of Conscience"
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s demand for a nonviolent revolution against racism, poverty, militarism, and injustice worldwide helped galvanize an invigorated movement towards social justice . . . and it continues to inspire us today. In this year's commemoration of King's life and legacy, we pause to honor and study the preceding "strides towards freedom" of King and other civil rights activists, before and since. And, as heirs to King's tradition of activism living in equally turbulent times, we also stop to consider the necessary pathways for future action in pursuit of justice and peace.
From January 16 through January 24, Duke University welcomes its students, employees and faculty as well as the communities of Durham to join in the 14th annual campus celebration of the life and work of Dr. King. A series of events -- guest speakers, panel discussions, musical presentations and community service activities -- will bring us together to help us better negotiate the past footsteps and establish new ones in the names of social equality, justice and peace. We invite this vast community to assemble throughout the week in a spirit of hope as we dedicate ourselves to commemorating and answering Dr. King's call to collective action.
