2011 Commemoration

“The new world is a world of geographical togetherness. This means that no individual or nation can live alone. We must all learn to live together, or we will be forced to die together. This new world of geographical togetherness has been brought about, to a great extent, by man’s scientific and technological genius. … Through our scientific genius we have made of the world a neighborhood; now through our moral and spiritual genius we must make of it a brotherhood.”

Facing the Challenge of a New Age
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
December, 1956

Duke University’s 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee has chosen as its theme for this year’s observance, ‘Connect to the Dream.’

The appeal of ‘Connect to the Dream’ reflects the committee’s desire for today’s youth to stay connected with, or reconnect to, Dr. King’s values and vision for a world together. It also reflects how the technological innovations of this generation have brought our global and local communities closer together.

The ongoing struggle for equity and social justice in this connected environment still requires personal development, clarity of thinking, commitment of purpose and a level of service and activism that is exemplified by the life of Dr. King. Through his advocacy on behalf of communities of color, keynote speaker Randall Robinson has successfully bridged the technological and geographical divides that often limit us. We hope his talk and the week’s events will spur new conversations, reconnect us to Dr. King’s vision and inspire us to transform our own neighborhoods.