Commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s
speech to Manchester College
exactly 40 years ago Feb. 1
The great civil rights leader is gone, as is the gymnasium where he delivered his last campus address before his assassination 40 years ago. But the memories of that emotion-charged moment at Manchester College linger steadfastly, as does the message delivered by Martin Luther King Jr.
On Feb. 1 – exactly to the moment 40 years after King delivered his address “The Future of Integration” – the Manchester College community filled Cordier Auditorium to commemorate the event with reflections, carefully preserved video and still photography, and song.
 Students read excerpts from Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and the A Cappella Choir moved the huge audience to its feet to join in an emotional We Shall Overcome. Television and media across the state reported on the event.
A peacemaker during the tumultuous time of Dr. King’s visit to campus was Dr. Kenneth L. Brown, now professor emeritus of philosophy and peace studies. His reflections at the 40th anniversary commemoration were spellbinding for students current and past. Follow this link for the text of his speech, and a reminder of the extraordinary oratory skills of the soft-spoken Dr. Brown.
The Feb. 1, 1968 event was years in the making, accomplished through the perseverance of then-President Blair Helman, despite protests and threats from some members of the community.
King’s magnificent cadence resonated in a gymnasium filled with a rapt crowd that rose to applause. Afterward, he lunched with a select few – including the editor of the Oak Leaves campus newspaper, now President Jo Young Switzer ’69.
“The way he spoke just inspired me to be a better person. He lifted all of us up; he said we’re all capable of more,” recalled Switzer. “He spoke for a very long time, yet he was so mesmerizing, it seemed to go by in a second.”
“This commemoration honors Dr. King’s speech – but even more importantly, it honors his ideals,” said Switzer. “We are better off individually and as a nation when we judge people by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin, a lesson that permeated King’s values.”
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