This Monday, January 17, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. – a holiday with incredible importance to our country and one that holds a lot of personal meaning. In 1948, Dr. King graduated from Morehouse College, which is also my alma mater. Going to the same school as one of the country’s most prolific leaders of the Civil Rights Movement was a surreal experience. Every freshman at Morehouse must attend Chapel service once a week and students couldn’t miss more than six services a year. While I may not have appreciated the attendance requirements at the time, in hindsight, and especially as I reflect on Dr. King, those Chapel services have stayed with me more than anything else over the years. We heard from leaders across the country, including many of Dr. King’s professors, classmates, friends, and fellow Civil Rights leaders. Their words had such an impact on me regarding the importance of civic responsibility, civil rights, service, and the importance of advocacy. Over the years, the Dean of the Chapel, Dean Carter, would reliably speak about what it meant to be a “Morehouse Man.” I can recall vividly Dean Carter’s description of a person with character, intellectual curiosity, patience, focus, values, and a religious spirit. Whenever the Dean spoke about being a Morehouse Man, we knew he would reference Dr. King. And rightfully so. Dr. King’s work and legacy embody the ideals not only of a Morehouse Man, but the ideals of community service that I believe we should all be striving towards. He truly epitomized what it means to be a difference maker and did it with humility. This year, I am especially reminded of a quotation of his, “Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” The persistent threats to human, civil, and economic rights across the globe are a testament to the need for more community servants with this qualitative and quantitative change in mind. I feel blessed to continue to invest in Dr. King’s legacy and dream as a board member of Morehouse. I feel grateful, too, for my role and the space at Microsoft to serve as an advocate. Most importantly, as I reflect on this holiday, I am inspired by people across the globe who are committed to making positive changes, big and small, in their communities. I challenge you all (myself included) to take some time this holiday weekend (and throughout the year) to give back in ways that contribute to your community. I believe with intention and practice, we all can play a role in pushing our world just a little bit closer to the promised land that Dr. King spoke of.
Outstanding reflection, Fred. I, too, remember "Freshmen Assembly," which is what it was called in my day, just a wee bit before yours, actually. As I look back, some of the speeches I heard during Assembly and the incredible people we were privileged to hear and to meet are some of the highlights of my life. That these recollections are still so vividly with us after so much time has passed suggests that these required experiences (which we sometimes resented, as so many of my friends at "other" schools didn't have to submit to) turned out to be perspective-altering, not so subtle exercises in character-building, and subtly designed to ensure that we are always to engage in the struggle to create the Beloved Community. Thanks for your reflection. It took me all the way back.
Fred Humphries - At BlackFacts, we have been contributing to our community every day for the past 25 Years by 'Putting Black Communities in Control of Our Narratives.' We collect, classify and broadcast Black History and news, and have created over 700 original Black History videos like our very first Black History Heroes video on Dr. King, which anyone can view and share at: https://blackfacts.com/heroes/mlk
Thank you Fred for sharing this personal reflection and for painting such a powerful picture of how the influence of visionary leaders including Dr. King echoes through generations. As you said, intention and practice are what will help us make the vision a reality.
Steven T.
1y
Thank you Fred! As your fellow classmate (‘83), your words clearly express exactly what I have attempted to articulate to my friends and countless others who did not attend Morehouse for the past 40+ years. During Chapel, Dr. Carter was unwavering in commitment to still the values you described in us. I stand with you in your commitment to community service, my Brother. Thank you for your service. 🙏🏾 #trueforever
Thank you for this, Fred. Eloquently put. We appreciate your consistent dedication to Morehouse and the cause.
Eric Horvitz
1y
Beautiful reflection. Thank you Fred. It’s been rewarding to work with you and team over the years on shared goals.
I love this!!! I also love that Microsoft fosters a culture of servant leadership, which is in line with the ideals of Dr. King. Beautifully stated Mr. Humphries.
Thank you for your inspiring words, Brother. Fred. And no surprise that Dr. King was a member of our dear fraternity! These sentiments and virtues should not only be pursued on Monday but every day and as a way of life. There are a lot of ailing communities that need the kind of binding power that you learned at Morehouse. Thank you for sharing your story.
Vice Chair and President at Microsoft Corporation
1yThank you, Fred, for all you do to live and foster the ideals of Dr. King.