Dr. Dottie Morris Leads Conversation Anchored by Dr. King's Teachings
As part of Kimball Union’s year-long speaker series introducing a variety of voices to our community, the school hosted Dr. Dottie Morris, Associate Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity at Keene State College, on Monday January 15, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Dr. Morris began her address by stating, “one thing I’m not going to do is talk at you. I’m going to talk with you.” What followed was an open conversation anchored by the teachings of Dr. King. Our student community was as engaged as they’ve ever been, weaving in and out of topics such as solidarity, liberation, social movements, the power of young people, and working definitions of equality versus equity.
“At the beginning of her talk, Dr. Morris asked us to identify all of the individuals that came together to have an effect on our day. It made me think of my parents, the people who made my car, the people who work for Sage in our dining hall,” recalls Garrett ’18. “It really broadened my view and made me think about how my actions might affect others. Even the smallest details, like how fast I drove to school. It opened my eyes to some of the things I take for granted.”
“Sometimes we don’t realize something is broken because it’s not having an impact on us,” remarked Dr. Morris. “I want us to reevaluate that way of thinking. Just because something is working for you, doesn’t mean it is working for everybody else. So, how do we develop a certain type of consciousness to do something when others see a need?”
“I agree with Dr. Morris,” says Garrett. “I’ve been very fortunate in the way that this system treats me. While there are certainly aspects of our society that I see and don’t like, it’s hard to be an advocate for change when the system is so good to you. Dr. Morris’ talk helped me to look at it from another side.”
Dr. Morris displayed the graphic shown below, which prompted a fast-paced, no-holds-barred, community-wide discussion. "I’ve never seen the students so engaged and participating so freely during a guest speaker’s presentation,” recalls faculty member, Christine Clisura. “Dr. Morris was a masterful facilitator who really kept the conversation going.”
Responding to the graphic, Morgan ’18 comments, “The discussion around liberation was valuable, but I think Dr. Morris’ main goal was to make us comfortable talking about our individual views and opinions. She got the whole audience to discuss something openly and it was really cool that everyone was comfortable participating.”
Thank you, Dr. Morris, for creating an environment for our entire community to think, reflect, and respond during your thought-provoking visit.
To view the assembly in its entirety, click here.
