UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Marking the Penn State Forum on Black Affairs’ 47th annual commemoration of King’s legacy, Penn State and local community leaders recently came together to honor and reflect on King’s legacy and teachings in a video celebration.
FOBA President André Culbreath emcees the video, “Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — His Legacy, Loyalty & Service,” and is joined by Penn State President Eric Barron; FOBA Past President Leslie Laing; and State College and Centre Region NAACP President Lorraine Jones.
The video also includes a celebration of the legacy and contributions of late FOBA Past President and Treasurer Alan Payne; and announces the recipients of the 2022 Fannie Lou Hamer and W.E.B. DuBois Service Scholarship award. The 22-minute video also features a photo montage of past years’ FOBA Martin Luther King Banquet events from 2012 to 2020.
“As I think about Dr. King and his legacy, and the impact it has on us as an organization, I’m reminded that Dr. King gives us an inclusive vision, one that instructs us to listen carefully, persuade through reason, and build community while healing,” said Culbreath in the video. “FOBA has an extensive history of reaching out and advocating for the needs of the community, faculty, staff and students, constantly answering the question Dr. King considered to be one of life’s most persistent and urgent questions: ‘What are you doing for others?’
In his remarks, Barron speaks about his and others’ personal connections with King’s teachings, reflecting on our nation’s and University’s progress in becoming more diverse, equitable and inclusive. The full text of his remarks also can be read in his latest “Digging Deeper” blog post.
“But now, more than 50 years later, we must still take perspective from Dr. King himself, who said in his (1965) Rec Hall speech, ‘We have come a long, long way in the struggle for racial justice, but we have a long, long way to go before the problem is solved,’” said Barron. “We have many challenges to overcome before we can achieve racial justice in society and within higher education. I try to remain hopeful, and I know we must remain focused. I hope we can take note of what we have accomplished together but I know that we must continue with passion and purpose.”
Barron urges community members to take a few moments to reflect on their role in creating a just community and world, saying, “Use your talents wisely and raise your voice for those who go unheard.”
In the video, FOBA announces the recipients of the 2022 Fannie Lou Hamer and W.E.B. DuBois Service Scholarship award — University Park student Breiuana White, who majors in science, focusing on biological sciences and health professions; and Penn State World Campus student Sarah Estime, who majors in finance.
The scholarship, awarded annually to full-time, degree-seeking Penn State students who are excellent scholars and actively engaged in service to the African-American community, honors the memory of civil-rights leaders Hamer and DuBois. Those who are interested in making a donation to the scholarship fund can visit this link.
“We are pleased to announce that we have two fabulous students who espouse the ideals of sharing their lived experiences at Penn State,” said Laing, “to create a more inclusive environment for all students, and building community through their service.”
In the video, Laing and Culbreath also invite the community to pay tribute to the late Alan Payne, who served two terms as FOBA president, 2006 and 2011, and who, Laing expressed, "embodied Dr. King’s civil engagement.”
“We wanted to acknowledge (Alan’s) service, his loyalty, and his legacy as a beloved member of the FOBA family,” said Laing. “A veteran of the U.S. Army, a Morehouse (College) man like Dr. King, Alan served as director for the Applied Research Lab and worked at Penn State for nearly 40 years, and was a generous contributor as well as a founder of scholarships.”
In addition to supporting scholarships for students, Payne founded the Alan Payne Trustee Scholarship in the College of Engineering, said Culbreath. Payne died in Sept. 2021.
“When you think about service leadership and servanthood, you cannot help but think about our late brother Alan Payne,” he added. “Because of the work and the outstanding contributions to the organization, we (FOBA) decided that we’re going to donate $500 to the Alan Payne Scholarship, as brother Payne really lived out the values of Dr. King in terms of service and legacy to the community.”
Jones also offers remarks on the occasion of the holiday.
“No figure is more closely tied to giving community service, civil rights and the NAACP than Dr. King,” said Jones. “Still today, his dedication to justice and serving his community inspires thousands of ordinary people to extraordinarily serve globally,” said Jones. “So today, as we celebrate the legacy and life and accomplishments of Dr. King, let us not forget the everyday people that give selfless service to our community.”
The mission of the Forum on Black Affairs is to provide educational opportunities for all citizens and is dedicated to the principle of equality for all people, manifested in a commitment to achieve equal opportunity for Blacks at Penn State. The 2022 MLK Commemoration Committee includes André Culbreath, Leslie Laing and Terry Watson.
FOBA leaders said they decided to offer a video celebration in light of the pandemic: “We value the safety of the community and understood that celebrating in person would not been wise or of good service, so our video is us working to keep his and our legacy of honoring him alive,” said Culbreath. “Thank you for connecting with us as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”