RESOURCES:
EMU MLK 2026 Keynote: Karine Jean-Pierre
TRANSCRIPTION:
Caroline MacGregor: This is 89.1 WEMU. I'm Caroline MacGregor. And Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This national holiday is an annual reflection of how far we've come, where we currently stand, as well as the progress that still needs to be made since Dr. King delivered his famous State of the Dream speech at the National Mall in August of 1963. Our guest today to help us explore the meaning of this day and associated activities here at Eastern Michigan University is Dwight Hamilton. He's the Chief Access and Opportunity Officer for the university. Welcome! Thank you so much for joining us in honoring Dr. King!
Dwight Hamilton: Thank you for having me!
Caroline MacGregor: But first of all, I'd like to ask you. In the ongoing quest for racial equity and equality, what does this day mean specifically for Eastern Michigan University?
Dwight Hamilton: Well, sure. Well, we're actually honoring this as our 40th MLK celebration. And each year, as we plan our events, we do look at how Dr. King's legacy and the things that were important to him resonate and what we're currently experiencing at each given point in time. Obviously, when most people think of Dr. King, and I would say kind of a reductive way, he's been, unfortunately, reduced to a single line out of a single speech made on a single day. That of course is the, "I Have a Dream" speech. What we have done in our programming is really look to broaden. Obviously, we reflect the dream. Our theme this year is "His dream. Our action." We're constantly looking at what can we do tangibly within our community to advance the hopes and, yes, dreams that Dr. King had. So, this year, one of the things that we've done is to look at some of the other really important concepts that Dr. King talked about. And this year, we have programming that also discusses his concept of the beloved community. And it is his vision. That's a community absent of poverty, absent of hunger, absent of hate. And we've got some really imaginative programs done in conjunction with the Washtenaw County community as well.
Caroline MacGregor: And here at Eastern Michigan University, we have several programs going on. We have one very important speaker: former White House press secretary and senior advisor Karine Jean-Pierre. She'll be the keynote speaker for Eastern Michigan University's MLK president's luncheon. Tell me. How did this come about?
Dwight Hamilton: Well, she was on a short list. You know, I've worked on this committee for several years and each year, we're looking at potential speakers, and her name kept coming up. But while she was still active in the prior presidential administration, obviously that was not something that she would be able to entertain.
Caroline MacGregor: Right.
Dwight Hamilton: So, I think it's the opportunity that presented itself this year. And also, to be very honest, she had an interesting year herself. She broke away from the Democratic Party, declared herself as an independent and has been reflecting upon her motivations for making that decision, but also reflecting upon her perceived shortcomings of both parties. So, we thought that that would be an interesting conversation to have.
Caroline MacGregor: Fascinating, actually. And Karine Jean-Pierre is the first Black person and also first openly LGBTQ person to serve in the position of White House press secretary. She has had quite a background, a history, a very interesting life she's led. She was also previously a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and she's done many lectures. For students, this is going to be such an interesting talk, I'm sure.
Dwight Hamilton: Oh, absolutely! You know, I'll tell you this. This event sold out almost instantly upon the announcement. So, that's something that reflects, I think, great interest in having her here. And I do know she's a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and our local chapter was just so thrilled and said, "What can we do to support? What we do to welcome Ms. Jean-Pierre?" And a number of our other fraternities and sororities have also really been energized and have asked for and have received opportunities to be a part of the celebration, not just on the holiday itself, but throughout the week.
Caroline MacGregor: So, she's going to be the keynote speaker for Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. And to touch on Eastern Michigan University, how far have we come at the university in terms of racial equality?
Dwight Hamilton: That's a huge question, isn't it? Eastern Michigan is a college of opportunity. We talk about that a lot. We educate students from all different types of backgrounds. We have a lot of students who are the first in their families to pursue the completion of a four-year degree. We have lot of student who are Pell Grant eligible, which speaks to social economic status. When we talk about the beloved community, when we talk about, again, envisioning a community that is absent of poverty, of hunger, and of hate, I think Eastern Michigan has a significant role in accomplishing that because one of the metrics that we're very proud of is the social and economic mobility of our graduates. So, this is an institution where many students to hail from our surrounding area, again, are pioneers in their families by pursuing education. And of course, Dr. King was a very strong proponent of education, not only how it can help individuals advance in society, but also in the development of their character. So, I would say that the experience that we provide for our students and our graduates come out of this institution, their accomplishments, I think, are part of the dream realized.
Caroline MacGregor: Okay. What other events are taking place at Eastern Michigan University in celebration of Martin Luther King Day?
Dwight Hamilton: All right! So, on the holiday, even before the luncheon, we're going to have our annual...well, I shouldn't say annual, because, unfortunately, because of weather, we weren't able to have it the last two years. But we have our ceremonial wreath laying at the bust. There's a bust of Dr. King on our campus. And that'll be followed by a march from the bust across campus to go to the Student Center where the luncheon will be held. Tuesday evening, we're going to recognize our MLK awardees and scholarship recipients at the women's basketball game that evening. That's been an annual part of our programming. Wednesday, I'm very excited to talk about another speaker, and obviously Miss Jean-Pierre deserves a lot of attention But we also have an EMU alum Courtney Smith. She is the founder and the chief executive officer of the Detroit Phoenix Center. When we talk about the dream realized, this is an individual who had experience with poverty, had experience in foster care and homelessness, and has started her own organization. She was named the 2025 Detroiter of the Year. She's a nationally recognized advocate for youth in marginalized communities and addresses needs like housing, education, and how do we provide support to young people in crisis. She's going to be speaking also at the Student Center on Wednesday evening at 5:00, and that is open to the public, so please come out to hear this wonderful dynamic speaker. And also, again, I know I've talked about the beloved community. We have new programming this year. We had two days. You know, most institutions have a day of service, right? This year, we're going to devote two days to the concept of the beloved community. Thursday, we're going to focus on student volunteerism and advocacy. We're going to, in partnership with Eastern Michigan Society for Human Resource Management, provide veterans resume review and interview assistance to help that very vulnerable community, particularly within our area. Our student government is also partnering with us and encouraging students to come and write letters to their local legislators to articulate their views on issues that matter the most to them. And then, we're also doing a fundraiser for Swoop's, which is our food pantry.
Caroline MacGregor: Yes.
Dwight Hamilton: Right now, our community's experiencing a lot of food insecurity, so we're always looking for ways to support our local food pantry here on campus. And then, finally, on Friday, we're having our beloved Ypsilanti community networking event and also Thursday's program is the brainchild of one of our chairs, Lakisha Dumas, who works in the President's office. And just such a wonderful idea to activate our community. Well, this is going to be a networking session where we're bringing in leaders of local nonprofits, businesses and community leaders. Ypsilanti Mayor Nicole Brown will also be here. And it's really designed to foster a room where people can network, sit down with one another, identify how we can work with each other for the benefit of our Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor communities. So, we're really thrilled about all of this programming. There's a lot of different ways to get involved, and we're not restricting that opportunity to just the single day of the holiday.
Caroline MacGregor: And I believe the keynote speaker, Karine Jean-Pierre, her address will be moderated by Glenda Lewis. Is this correct?
Dwight Hamilton: Yes, that is correct! So, she's going to serve as our MC. WXYZ Channel 7's news anchor, Glenda Lewis, second generation kind of a newscasting royalty. The anchor here in Detroit has been kind enough to volunteer to be our host and MC for the luncheon itself.
Caroline MacGregor: So, all sorts of exciting things going on and a tremendous opportunity here at Eastern Michigan University for students and faculty alike and visitors. A lot going on in celebration of Martin Luther King Day, and it sounds like Eastern Michigan University is going all out to remember his famous speech and legacy.
Dwight Hamilton: Absolutely! We certainly are! And, again, focusing on how we can be best partners with our local community. We're thrilled about next week's events!
Caroline MacGregor: Today, I've been talking with Eastern Michigan University's Dwight Hamilton. He's the Chief Access and Opportunity Officer here at EMU. Thank you so much for joining me today and talking about Dr. King! It's been a tremendous way to honor his legacy!
Dwight Hamilton: Thank you!
Caroline MacGregor: This is 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti.
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