2014 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

MIT celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Annual MLK Celebrations by bestowing an Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is a special honor given only during decennial celebrations to acknowledge a community member who has given dedicated service to the MIT Community. In 2014, the honor went to Professor Wesley L. Harris for his decades of work to promote diversity at MIT.

Three-day summit to feature keynote from motivational speaker, diversity workshops, and a documentary on a civil rights activist.

Joan Marshall, MIT News 
January 15, 2014

Expand, challenge and explore diversity at the 2014 Institute Diversity Summit, to be held on Jan. 27-29. In response to attendee feedback, the Summit has been expanded to three days to better accommodate the schedules of faculty, students and staff.

The theme of this year's summit is "Demystifying Diversity: Challenge, Expand, Broaden your Perspective."

Day one starts with a welcome from Institute Community and Equity Officer Edmund Bertschinger, followed by this year’s keynote speaker Ret. Lt. Col. Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch. She is a renowned charismatic, passionate and influential speaker who discusses what it takes to be an effective leader in today’s global marketplace. She is also the founder of Educational Achievement Services (EAS, Inc.). The day closes with the Summit keynote reception with MIT President L. Rafael Reif starting at 4 p.m.

Day two features a full day of thought provoking workshops, held on the Stratton Student Center's third floor, designed to demystify diversity and help expand and broaden the perspectives of the attendees. Workshop titles include: Leveraging the Power of Diversity; How to be a Trans* Ally; Speak Up: Responding to Everyday Bias; Conversations You Can’t Have on Campus; and Dispelling the Myths and Fears surrounding Disability. Sessions will take place throughout the day. Advance registration is strongly encouraged, as workshop seating is extremely limited. Space cannot be guaranteed for any registration not submitted online by Jan. 22. To see the full list of workshops visit the Institute Diversity Summit's webpage.

On Jan. 29th, the Summit will sponsor a special showing of the documentary "Brother Outsider: The Story of Bayard Rustin," at 6 p.m. in the Kirsch Auditorium (32-123). The documentary is the inspiring story of Bayard Rustin, an openly gay African-American activist and mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. who has been called the “unknown hero” of the civil rights movement. The film has won numerous awards; Rustin was recently posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.

The goal of the Summit is to stimulate dialogue and offer a safe space for honest discussion about the current diversity climate at the Institute for faculty, students, and staff. It is also an opportunity to hear perspectives from various members of the MIT community, as well as leaders beyond MIT. The Summit is a collaboration among faculty, students and staff.

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates dazzles during two years as an MLK Visiting Scholar
May 21, 2014

True Diversity: A Multiplier in Global STEM Innovation
March 24, 2014

Speakers at MIT’s 40th annual MLK Breakfast honor King’s legacy
February 7, 2014

40th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
February 5, 2014

MIT to hold 2014 Institute Diversity Summit
​January 15, 2014

Students of the Martin Luther King Jr. Design Seminar, a program offered over IAP, display their art installations in Lobby 10. These projects address the principles of Dr. King and the students’ ideas on topics such as human rights, justice, racism, and equality. Sarah Liu, The Tech 2014