Dear Colleagues:
“Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
In his own words, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. connected the role of education to not only one of filling the mind, but strengthening the heart. The upcoming Martin Luther King holiday weekend provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the iconic civil rights leader’s life and legacy. With the global backdrop of the pandemic that has continued to highlight inequities, let’s embrace the practice of what Dr. King described as “a kind of dangerous unselfishness” so that the purpose in our lives includes the well-being of our neighbors and not just ourselves.
His dream did not foresee a world of division but instead one with love and grace – something that is cultivated when we are in service to one another. To do this, we must continue to be bridge-builders and remember that living in this great country involves taking an active role to promote equity and access for all.
To recognize Dr. King’s legacy, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a national day of service in 1994. This holiday weekend was envisioned to support his goal of encouraging service so that we can strengthen our connections to one other and to our community. With this in mind, our Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy (iCED) and Student Life have partnered with City Year Miami, Hands on Miami, the Miami-Dade County Parks Department, Citizens for a Better South Florida, and other organizations to provide a host of virtual and outdoor service opportunities beginning Friday and through the holiday weekend. Examples include a coastal cleanup and tree
planting in Virginia Key; removing microplastics from mangroves; creating a tote bag of non-perishable items from home; a community cleanup in Allapattah; beautifying two middle schools; and more. MDC campuses have also organized special events and commemorations to honor Dr. King. For details and to RSVP, simply email mlk@mdc.edu or contact your campus’
iCED office.
Let us reflect on the life of Dr. King as we give back to others in our community. We can all make a difference.
Thank you,
Madeline | 
