Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legacy Convocation

On January 24, the UConn Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legacy Convocation with Chief Justice Robinson. This event was free of charge and open to the public. It was 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm at Storrs Campus in the Jorgensen Center.

As 3:30 rolled around on the 24th, people ushered into Jorgensen Center, shaking rain off their umbrellas and finding their seats on the main floor. The lights dimmed and Chief Diversity Officer Dana Wilder took to the podium, welcomed the crowd and introduced Thomas Kruger, a Chairman on the UConn Board of Trustees, to make the opening remarks. Kruger spoke to the audience about the importance of honoring Martin Luther King Jr., and presented the theme of the event: Courageous Paths. After he left the stage, the UConn Jazz ensemble played the musical selection “You’ll Never Walk Alone” accompanied by the Chamber Singers & Strings. This nostalgic show tune from 1945 captivated the audience and as it concluded, the main speaker Chief Justice Richard Robinson took his place on stage.

Chief Justice Robinson is the first black Supreme Justice in the Connecticut Supreme Court and was heavily influenced by Martin Luther King Jr. He began his speech by illustrating the progress that our society has made in the meer span of his lifetime. He was born into a world with segregation and anti-integration. When he was young, his family would make thirteen hour trips to visit his grandmother in South Carolina. Although he looked back fondly on these memories, he noticed that whenever they crossed the Mason Dixon line, there was an unspoken, palpable shift in the energy of his older family members. They would no longer make pit stops at gas stations, they would speak more deliberately and in careful tones, and there was an overall feeling of anxiety the moment they stepped out of the car. Even as a child, Robinson was agitated by this. He was disturbed by the injustice he saw in the world. At the time, church bombings, the murders of Civil Rights demonstrators and the many assassinations of Civil Rights leaders left him in a state of hopeless anguish. Though through it all, Martin Luther King Junior was a steady source of hope. He inspired, he persisted and he kept faith in humanity when all hope seemed lost.

Robinson continued by speaking about King’s legacy, and how it has endured. King spoke courageously using dangerous words that no other black man dared utter. He did this unapologetically, with America as his audience, hoping that friends and foes alike would hear him. King drew inspiration from Gandhi, and knew that strength rose from peace and non-violence. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” When King was assassinated, Robinson felt he needed to honor him in some way, and felt that pursuing a career in the Courts would be the perfect way to do this. This was an ambitious task, and Robinson faced extreme overt racism from clients as well as his superiors. He persisted nonetheless and eventually became the first black Supreme Justice in the Connecticut Supreme Court. A monumental achievement.

To conclude his speech, Robinson spoke about the importance of keeping faith in our law and justice system. He feels that a reason for so much divide and the feeling of hopelessness for many Americans stems from the polarizing rhetoric employed by opposing political groups and the fact that many are losing hope in the Rule of Law. He feels that in order for social change, Americans must restore their trust in the government.

When Robinson left the stage, the Jazz Ensemble played another musical selection titled “Round and Round” by Tevin Campbell.

The next section of this convocation was a moderated Q&A between Chief Justice Robinson and Elaf Al-Wohaibi, a UConn Law Student.

Elaf asked a variety of questions spanning from “What are your personal thoughts and experiences with microaggressions?”, all the way to “What is some advice for someone who wants to take on a legal career?”. This honest conversation flowed comfortably and was largely centered on what typical college students can do to motivate positive social change. The most important message that Robinson conveyed is how important it is to get out of your comfort zone and talk to people that disagree with you about difficult topics. He feels that the only way humans can ever solve social justice issues is for all groups of people to communicate and interact. We need to break down the barriers in order for us all to understand one another. Be daring, do things that scare you, for if society remains inert, there will never be change.

Elaf thanked Robinson for his time and the two exited the stage. The Jazz Ensemble and Singers played “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. When the music ended, Dana Wilder made the closing remarks. He thanked Chief Justice Robinson and the rest of the speakers for coming out and the audience for taking the time to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Junior. The lights came back on in Jorgensen center, and scattered conversations about hope and change could be heard through the small clusters of people. I walked home, lost in a reflection about what I had just heard, as soft raindrops dripped from my umbrella.

After attending this event, I have been reminded of how important it is to honor Martin Luther King Jr., especially considering the political climate today. That being said, I am slightly disappointed in the turnout of this event. There were about 100 people in the audience, but I think that it should have been full. National holidays like this one are largely seen as just a day off from work, and the true meaning is lost. MLK was such an influential figure in our country’s history, and we cannot let his legacy fade. Community events are really important to attend, and it shouldn’t be made a class assignment in order for people to show up. We are incredibly lucky to be at a university that puts on these events, and we should seize every opportunity to hear from such influential and important people like Chief Justice Robinson.