Chancellor John B. King and the SUNY Board of Trustees Statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The following statement was issued by SUNY on Jan. 15, 2024.

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Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees Statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

For Immediate Release: Monday, Jan. 15, 2024

Contact: Holly Liapis, Holly.Liapis@suny.edu, (518) 477-0757; or Conall Smith, Conall.Smith@suny.edu, (518) 565-9580

“In the decades that have passed since the tragic day Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, the dream for America that he proclaimed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial has yet to be fully achieved. The non-violence he taught and preached and the equality for which he fought and suffered are messages we still must carry and standards we still must aspire to as we honor his legacy by striving to create a more inclusive, equitable nation where everyone has a seat at the table.

“Dr. King once said, ‘Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.’ Our diversity makes us stronger, not least because it prepares students for careers and lives in a diverse and complicated world. We are likewise steadfast in our commitment to ensuring SUNY is an engine of upward mobility, fulfilling Dr. King’s entwined visions of education and economic opportunity.

“On this national holiday celebrating Dr. King, SUNY recommits itself to living his legacy by making its communities places of peace, justice, equity, opportunity, acceptance and love, where all New Yorkers, and all people, can claim their place and thrive.”

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