Manchester president to speak about MLK’s legacy in ‘Fly, Run, Walk, Crawl – Keep Moving Forward’
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – Manchester University has a tradition of promoting respectful discourse, and President Dave McFadden will explore that theme in the Spring Convocation at 3:30 pm. Feb. 6 in Cordier Auditorium.
It is free and open to the public.
In “Fly, Run, Walk, Crawl – Keep Moving Forward,” he will reflect on the need for perseverance, resilience, doggedness, grit and passion in pursuit of those things we value most.
The title is based on a quote from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
King often used biblical themes as a model to express his ideas, in this case the book of Isaiah. He called on students and others to get involved in peaceful protest to affect change. His final speech on a campus was at Manchester, on Feb. 1, 1968. He was assassinated in April of that year.
Throughout this academic year, Manchester is exploring topics close to King’s heart and paying tribute to his legacy. Several events are scheduled Feb. 1. www.manchester.edu/mlk50
The Feb. 6 program is part of the Values, Ideas, and Art series at the University, which offers academic enrichment for students.
Why was MLK at Manchester?
- The Church of the Brethren, a historic peace church that continues its long tradition of practicing and advocating non-violent conflict resolution, founded the school.
- Established in 1948, the Peace Studies Institute and Program for Conflict Resolution at Manchester was the first undergraduate peace studies program in the world.
- Manchester was the first university in the United States to hold permanent observer status with the United Nations, as a non-governmental organization (NGO).
- Andrew Cordier, who graduated from Manchester in 1922, was a key player in drafting the founding charter of the United Nations.
- Jean Childs Young, a 1954 Manchester graduate, was the first wife of Andrew Young, and a civil rights leader in her own right. Andrew Young has said in interviews that it was through Jean and Coretta Scott King that he and MLK met. Manchester is building a new intercultural center that bears her name.
About Manchester University
Manchester University, with campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., offers more than 60 areas of academic study to nearly 1,600 students in undergraduate programs, a Master of Athletic Training, a Master of Pharmacogenomics and a four-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy. It has students from 20 nations and is home to the world's first undergraduate peace studies program, established in 1948. Learn more about the private, northern Indiana school at www.manchester.edu.
January 2018