In Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A Message from Interim President John W. Mills

Dear NVU Community,

Today we celebrate and honor one of our nation’s most-revered leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While he stood for so many causes, we mostly know Dr. King for his fight for equality and voting, civil, and human rights for all people in the United States. He stood for many things—most principally justice, fairness, equality, and community. Dr. King fought not only for racial equality; he fought for the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice. And he did this through peaceful protest.

In King’s vision of community, he believed in the importance we each play to each other and to the greater good. Two Dr. King quotations that speak most succinctly to how important community is to our success as a people are these:

• “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

and

• “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Please take some time to reflect on these quotations. How can you bring them into your daily life in bettering the lives of your family, friends, our NVU Community, and our world?

At NVU, we stand for these same principles. They are part of our NVU Community Values.

“Northern Vermont University is a thriving learning and living community dedicated to honoring the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff, and investing in their commitment to lifelong learning, personal wellbeing, and success.”

Join me in celebrating, honoring, and pledging to uphold these values each day. NVU believes in a community that takes action to celebrate all people and embraces a plurality of ideas and experiences. We stand in solidarity with those who embrace a community for all.

In remembrance of Dr. King’s legacy and in unity with each of you,

John