Vanderbilt observes MLK Day with keynote, march and service projects

Vanderbilt University celebrated the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events on and off campus. These commemorations brought together faculty, staff, students and members of the Nashville community, fostering reflection, dialogue and action in honor of King’s lasting impact.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Vanderbilt kicked off the Commemorative Event Series with a special event featuring award-winning filmmakers Karen Hayes and Pamela Tom. During the event, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier delivered opening remarks highlighting the Rev. James Lawson’s enduring legacy and his connection with the university.

“In 2022, when Reverend Lawson spoke at my investiture as Vanderbilt’s new chancellor, (he) encouraged us to, quote, ‘push ourselves to where yet we can be.’ It felt like both a benediction and a charge—for Vanderbilt, and our nation. In word and example, Reverend Lawson called on all of us to dare to grow,” Chancellor Diermeier said.

Following the chancellor’s comments, Hayes and Tom discussed their new film, A Better Way: James Lawson, Architect of Nonviolence, which is set to be finished this year. They shared several clips from the film, insights into the filmmaking process, Lawson’s connections with Vanderbilt and Nashville, the impact of his work in the broader Civil Rights Movement, his relationship with King and memories of their time with Lawson.

The discussion was moderated by Phillis Sheppard, executive director of Vanderbilt’s James Lawson Institute and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Religion, Psychology, Culture and Womanist Thought.  

On Monday, Jan. 20, more than 60 Vanderbilt students, staff and faculty braved frigid temperatures to attend the 40th annual Nashville MLK March and Convocation. The community march took place from Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church to Tennessee State University’s Gentry Center, where participants engaged in a convocation with Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Vanderbilt alumna Sen. Charlane Oliver serving as speakers and Daniel Black, author and Clark Atlanta University professor, providing the keynote address.

To close out the commemorative event series, a record number of 80 Vanderbilt students participated in a Day of Service at Meharry Medical College on Saturday, Jan. 25. They joined students and community members from across Nashville to work on service projects that made a meaningful impact. Their efforts showcased the power of collective action and volunteerism. Students from other institutions, including American Baptist, Belmont, Fisk, Lipscomb, Meharry Medical, Nashville State, Tennessee State and Trevecca, also took part in the day of service.