Reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy

Dear members of the campus community, 

With the spring semester starting this week, new ideas to pursue, new questions to ask, and new opportunities to learn extend before us. In this way, each semester offers us a chance to embrace new beginnings, with boundless possibilities.  

One exemplary figure in American history is well known for his belief in the power of new beginnings and in humanity’s shared responsibility to treat all with dignity and care: the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life and legacy we commemorate today. 

Dr. King’s core messages and beliefs did not waver, even in the face of deep opposition and resentment, even as threats on his life grew louder. Throughout his work, his calls for nonviolent action to express the need for change were woven together with an abiding care for the wellbeing of humanity. 

Today, and every day, we have the opportunity to reflect on and make meaning of Dr. King’s legacy and what it teaches us in this moment in history at Wake Forest and in our society. 

As cruel and abusive rhetoric increasingly feels like the norm in society rather than the exception, Dr. King calls us to listen to all voices and trust in the power of what he called “unarmed truth,” in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Public trust in institutions dedicated to the pursuit of “unarmed truth,” including colleges and universities, continues to erode.  Yet in this moment of global instability, conflict, and our nation’s political strife, institutions of higher education – like Wake Forest – have never been more vital and important. Our academic mission grounds us in the pursuit of new knowledge, and Pro Humanitate calls us  “to use our knowledge, talents and compassion to better the lives of others.”  Our efforts to do so are critical to both achieving our mission and building (and re-building, always) trust in higher education. 

Next week, I will share several ways the University is continuing to meet our current moment and ensure our Wake Forest community can thrive in the midst of challenges. In particular, we are focused on reinforcing our commitments to free expression, academic freedom, belonging and inclusion. I strongly believe that open dialogue and debate can flourish in a community that also cares for one another. Fostering such an environment is not easy, especially now, but we are Wake Forest – we can do this, if we do it together.  

I have great optimism for the many ways Wake Forest will continue leading with integrity through our teaching, our collaborative discovery, and our shared sense of care and commitment to one another. And I have every confidence in our collective work to be catalysts for good. 

Let us take strength and inspiration from Dr. King as we seek “unarmed truth” this and every semester. 

Sincerely, 

Susan R. Wente, Ph.D. 
President 
Distinguished University Professor of Biology and Biochemistry