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Welcome to this important
dedication. Today we celebrate once again Martin Luther King Jr.’s
visit to our campus in 1968. Just as his voice inspired the world and
changed it, his visit to
Manchester
College
inspired us and changed us.
Today, we celebrate the display of the beautiful
bronze sculpture of King, created by Will Clark. And more
importantly, we celebrate Dr. King’s profound impact on our nation.
Dr. King spoke at our weekly
convocation in February 1968 in the Old Gymnasium, a building that
stood on this very spot. He stood behind this very podium and spoke
into this microphone. His coming to campus was intense and
controversial, but President A. Blair Helman stood firm in his
commitment to invite and welcome this extraordinary man. Scattered community resistance created
fears, and rumors of violence swirled like the cold winter winds on
that blustery day.
Security was tight, and tensions were
high. At that time in history, some believed
that King was a Communist sympathizer and a violent trouble-maker.
But with courageous
leadership from President
Helman and strong support from faculty leaders like Ken Brown and T.
Wayne Rieman, we experienced one of the most profound convocation
presentations in the history of the College. Today, as we honor Dr.
King, we also express our gratitude to
President Helman for his ethical leadership at a
time of racial strike. Please join me in recognizing President
Helman.
When Dr. King began to speak,
his rhythmic delivery embodied the deep spirit of unity about which
he spoke. As
a sophomore in the audience that day, I was struck by King’s
observations about laws and ethics. He said, “It may be true that
morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. It may
be true that the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain
the heartless.” His contrast between the laws needed to keep people
safe and the moral strength needed to bring about integration was
clear.
He let us know that he never
intended to adjust himself to segregation, discrimination, religious
bigotry, and economic injustice. Instead, he reminded us that we can
“hew out of mountains of despair a stone of hope ... we can
transform the dangling discord of our cities into a beautiful
symphony of brotherhood (and sisterhood).”
Now as then, we need to make sure that
we never adjust ourselves to injustice.
Dr. King inspired us to build bridges of respect,
justice, and courage.
One of the bridge-builders
who has carried on King’s legacy is Will Clark of Fort Wayne, the
sculptor who created this striking piece. Will
Clark spent his career in the corporate world of Central
Soya as a high-level executive. He is a servant leader who spends
much time in community service directed to bringing about justice
for those who have incomplete access to education, the arts, and
social and legal services. His life not only demonstrates a
commitment to justice, but also a commitment to lifelong learning. He began to sculpt after he retired.
The bust that Will Clark molded is displayed on a
hand-crafted pedestal built by Paul Kioebge of Huntington, who built
it especially for this sculpture and this place. Mr. Kioebge is also
a lifelong learner, and we thank him.
We have invited Will Clark to
reflect on his sculpture with us. We also want to express our thanks
to him for enriching our campus. Please join me in welcoming Will Clark.
(Will Clark speaks.)
We thank Will Clark, whose creative vision gives
us this tangible memory of Dr. King.
Today, we have gathered to
honor the man who helped our nation move, albeit imperfectly, toward
the beloved community. We honor a man whose spirit lifted us and who
reminded us often that the world “bends toward justice.” At this
moment, together in this place, we dedicate this sculpture of Martin
Luther King, Jr. to commemorate his 1968 speech on this very ground,
and we invite God’s blessings to bathe this memorial, this campus,
this community, and this world with justice.
We will end today with a
prayer from Jordan Tyson, a first-year student majoring in
sociology. When
Jordan’s prayer is finished, our
gathering is adjourned.
Thank you for sharing these moments.
Now, Jordan will
close our gathering.
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