KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 13, 2023

Students, faculty and staff who attended Kennesaw State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Breakfast on Friday were encouraged by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to engage in creating a stronger community.

“Dr. King spoke about our inescapable network of mutuality – a connection that we all share,” Dickens told a large audience gathered in the KSU Convocation Center. “Connections are a good thing, and I want you to consider your connections to the overall community.”

In addition to the welcome from the Mayor and Student Government Association President Bethany Fortson, the event featured remarks from KSU President Kathy Schwaig, Interim Chief Diversity Officer Sonia Toson, student leaders Nicole Brock, Brenden Dailey, Austin Harvey, Jamisen Winters and Calabria Atkins, music from the Kennesaw State Gospel Choir, as well as a moving keynote address by the lead researcher of KSU’s Radow Institute for Social Equity, Roslyn Satchel. The Institute is housed in the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences named for longtime KSU benefactor Norman J. Radow and his wife, Lindy.

In her keynote, Satchel encouraged those in the audience to share the responsibility of making quality education, equitable curricula, and freedom from racially motivated violence accessible to all.

“Removing barriers to access is key to the work of social equity,” said Satchel. “This morning, you don’t have to do it alone. It is indeed the work of social equity that requires that we see people as they are, in light of their history, their ability, their differences. And notice what their needs are and how we can make sure that their needs are met so that they can pursue, and be successful at, the opportunities that present themselves.”

The Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Breakfast honors the civil rights leader and pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church who was assassinated in 1968. The event is the first of several upcoming MLK Week events, hosted by KSU Cultural and Community Centers and other campus partners.

–  Abbey O’Brien Barrows
Photos by Judith Pishnery and Darnell Wilburn

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.