One of America's brightest leaders and thinkers
He taught several generations of Americans to see the world through a different lens. His influence and contribution to society is immeasurable, and will forever serve as one of America's brightest leaders and thinkers. In this post, we'll explore the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who would have been celebrating his 89th Birthday today.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s son Dexter King at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN . The topic was "The Value and Importance of Leadership. The event was in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and focused on Dr. King's life, lessons learned and core values that he lived his life by.
Dr. King began by discussing the early and formative years of his father's life, pointing out that his father had a burning desire for education and for equality. He spoke of the importance of embracing diversity and using it to one's advantage in achieving goals. He also talked about how his father in later years realized that true justice would be achieved not through violence but through peace, love, forgiveness and understanding (Martin Luther King Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize Speech).
Having seen first hand the effects that Dr. King's leadership had on society, Dexter made it his personal mission to continue his father's legacy, and to ensure that the great strides made by Dr. King with the civil rights movement are not lost forever. As a young man, Dexter King understood that he was a role model for many young African Americans and he realized that he had a huge responsibility to teach others what it means to be an effective leader and how to overcome adversity.
Following in his father's footsteps, Dexter has spent years giving speeches around the world about lessons learned from his father and how each of us can use these lessons today. While at Vanderbilt, EQ students were encouraged by Dr. King's son to seek him out as a resource to help them with their leadership endeavors. In our eyes, Dexter is one of the world's most influential leaders, and this young man shares his father's incredible passion for equality.
To hear Dexter King describe his father's legacy was amazing. To hear a man who carries on his father's legacy talk about how people can use their talents to create change in the world is simply inspiring. And to hear Dr. King Jr.'s son speak this way at an Ivy League university was extraordinary and I truly could not have been happier that EQ was able to collaborate with Vanderbilt University on this experience for our students!
For more about Dr. King and his son Dexter King, please visit:
King Center – http://www.thekingcenter.org/
Dexter King's website- http://www.dexterking.com/
You can also listen to a speech that Dexter gave on Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday 2013 at Vanderbilt University here: https://youtu.be/OCV7OI2Qd-s . It's about an hour long and well worth the time!
And, watch the original call to action speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I have a Dream" delivered in 1954 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJbAgh1MVm4
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., have a wonderful day,
Tracy L. Mitchell, Psy.D. & Chief Executive Officer, EQ School Leadership Institute (EQSLI) Tracy L. Mitchell, Psy.D., CEO & Founder of EQ School Leadership Institute, is a highly regarded thought leader in educational excellence and equity who has been recognized as one of the most influential people in education by The Obama Administration's White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). She has also been recognized with many national honors including the National Distinguished Black Leadership Award, the National Education Association's Humanitarian Award, and an NBC Universal/Black Entertainment Television (BET) Hall of Fame award. Dr. Mitchell received her Master's Degree in Sociology from Howard University, a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Howard University, and both a Doctorate of Humane Letters and a Doctorate of Educations from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Dr. Mitchell has also received her Certified Educational Leadership Specialist (C.E.L.S.) Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
To read more about Dr. Mitchell please visit: http://www.DrTracyLMitchell.com/
Follow Dr. Mitchell on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTracyLMitchell Dr. Mitchell is a frequent contributor to publications such as Education Week, The Huffington Post and many others on topics such as leadership, educational excellence and equity in education, social justice and diversity and multiculturalism in K-12 education, as well as topics surrounding the achievement gap and the WOW! Effect in urban schools and districts. As chief executive officer and founder of EQ School Leadership Institute, Dr. Mitchell has worked tirelessly to connect educators with the leadership skills they need to lead in a changing cultural and classroom environment. Dr. Mitchell presents keynotes at major educational conferences and serves as conference keynote speaker for many national educational organizations including National Association for Multicultural Education (NAMe) , National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE), Educational Leadership Institute (ELI), or the Chicago Public Rights Commission. She has also served as a consultant for numerous school districts as well to help them with their academic and leadership improvement efforts. For more information about Dr. Mitchell and EQSLI, please visit: http://www.DrTracyLMitchell.com/
Follow Dr. Tracy L. Mitchell on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DrTracyLMitchell and Like her on Facebook for updates on her daily thoughts! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Tracy-L-Mitchell-PhD/174871868170238
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EQSLI – The EQ School Leadership Institute is an equity and excellence-based school leadership training program that prepares elementary, middle and high school teachers, principals and superintendents to create a more equitable educational environment through the use of effective school leadership strategies and practices. For more information on the EQ School Leadership Institute please visit: http://www.EQSLI.org or contact us at 610-734-0500
On Monday, February 21, 2015, at approximately 3:00 pm Eastern Time (8:00 PM Pacific Time), Dr.
Conclusion
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his personal memoir, "The Drum major Instinct" about how he feared that teachers would get it wrong, that they would not value hard work and determination. While we are hopeful educators will take these words to heart and begin a new era of equitable educational opportunity for all students, we must give the credit where credit is due. The school leadership community recognizes and values the role of teachers in providing students with equitable educational opportunities. Educators are our future leaders. As leaders of tomorrow, it is imperative that they be prepared to address their own ethical dilemma resulting from inequitable leadership within their own classroom as well as within their school district/system.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.