News

EPH Celebrates and Remembers Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Many students, faculty, staff, and their family members braved the bitter cold last Thursday to participate in EPH’s third annual Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration, which was held on Dr. King’s birthday on January 15. The event, held in The Gathering Place at EPH, featured toasts in honor of Dr. King readings from his writings and speeches, birthday cake and other refreshments.

In his opening remarks, Curtis Patton, Ph.D., Professor and Head of the Division of Global Health and Professor in the Division of the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, spoke of his opportunities to meet Dr. King, of the powerful experience of hearing him speak, and of the importance of his work. He stressed that Dr. King was concerned about public health, education, and good jobs, and viewed them as integral parts of his civil rights work. He then turned the program over to those attending to read from Dr. King’s works as they were moved to do so. Periodically, audience members would rise, introduce themselves, and read passages from Dr. King’s works.

The EPH celebration of Dr. King’s life began several years ago when the university began observing Martin Luther King Day on the Monday following Dr. King’s birthday and the medical school stopped its tradition of inviting famous speakers for lectures and inspirational talks. The celebration is sponsored by EPH’s Minority Advisory Committee.

In discussing the celebration, Dr. Patton said he feels that it is important that people from all racial backgrounds, ranks and ages come together “to celebrate [Dr. King’s] legacy and hear his words again,” as well as to be reminded that the racial and other injustices that Dr. King sought to redress were firmly in place not very many years ago, and were confronted by many people alive today.

-Story by Christy Gordon, based on interview with Curtis Patton, January 22, 2004.