12th Annual Martin Luther King Jr Lecture

SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, DIVISION OF CAMPUS LIFE & INCLUSION PRESENT:

Honoring the history of inclusion and diversity at Springfield College

Monday, March 3, 2025 at 4 p.m.

Cleveland E. and Phyllis B. Dodge Room (C-F), Flynn Campus Union

June 14, 1964, was one of the greatest days in Springfield College history.

That was the day when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the College’s commencement address. Taking place at the height of his fame and the height of the Civil Rights Movement, it also happened in a remarkable context. That included both pressure from the FBI on the College to cancel the speech, and King’s arrest and imprisonment three days before he was scheduled to appear.

2025 marks the 61st anniversary of these events. March 3 will mark the 12th annual MLK Lecture.

This year’s event is not really a lecture at all. It is a thought-provoking conversation rooted in King’s own political and prophetic thought and advocacy in both historical and contemporary contexts. The discussion will assist us in understanding how racial, ethnic, gender, and/or class issues have influenced the current political landscape in the United States.

Our President & CEO, Shannon M. Rudder, MBA, joins other esteemed panelists: State Sen. Adam Gomez and Mount Holyoke College President Danielle R. Holley. Moderating the talk will be Terry Powe ’96, Board of Trustees member and co-chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. JOIN THE CONVERSATION