Educators honored during Washington University 36th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration | News
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The 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration event honored Dr. Kelvin R. Adams, retired St. Louis Public School District superintendent, and Dr. Deidra Thomas-Murray, Students in Transition Coordinator and foster care liaison for St. Louis Public School District with the 2023 Rosa L. Parks Award.
Guests gathered to honor the legacy of the late Dr. King while celebrating the tireless work of Dr. Adams and Dr. Thomas-Murray at the Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus at Washington University.
The award was established to mark meritorious services to the community, the committee determines who and when the award will be presented, and only when the committee deems the nominee(s) has exhibited the same character, conscience, and courage as Rosa Parks.
Phyllis Jackson, associate director of event management said, “ Adams and Thomas-Murray have improved the lives of students inside and outside the classroom.”
“In keeping with the spirit of Rosa Parks’ determination fight for the greater good, this is a great time to honor Dr. Adams, the longest-running superintendent of SLPS, and Dr. Thomas-Murray, who has worked tirelessly on behalf of the students identified as homeless, a population that could easily fall through the cracks,” Jackson said.
“Together, they have worked to make sure the children in the city of St. Louis received the best education possible.”
In his 14-year tenure with SLPS, Adams has accomplished many milestones including regaining the district’s accreditation, erasing the $36.8 million deficit, and opening two nationally recognized new schools, serving refugees and at-risk youth. His other accomplishments are the implementation of new programs and policies that have increased pre-kindergarten enrollment, high school graduation rates, and student attendance.
Being displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Murray-Thomas joined the SLPS family in 2006, Murray-Thomas is an advocate for children in foster care. She has organized food and clothing drives, started college readiness programs, and lent help to families in need of housing, health care, and educational programs and services.
The ceremony opened with the Black National Anthem sung by guests and the Wash U concert choir. The choir also sang “I Dream A World ” words by international poet Langston Hughes. This year’s theme is a beloved community, based on Dr. King’s quote “ Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives”.
Rudolph Clay is the Chair of the Martin Luther King annual commemoration event he said both Adams and Murray-Thomas are the exact type of recipients they have in mind when handing out this award, both exemplify goals accomplished within the community that is fitting to who Rosa Parks was and her contributions to the Civil Rights movement.
Andrew Martin, Chancellor of Wash U during his speech said when he reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the concept of a beloved community reminds him that this type of community we should all strive for, we should go beyond our common knowledge of what a community is and look at it from the perspective of Dr. King.
“Find your creativity, find what part of this work resonates with you. Use your personal gifts in communities that you will be a part of throughout your lives. Make good trouble, don’t wait for someone else to do it,” said the Chancellor.
He urged the diverse crowd to take a step in creating Dr. King’s beloved community.
“I encourage you to work while it’s the day, don’t be silent when you know you need to be speaking up,” said Murray-Thomas.
The work Adams and Murray-Thomas have done, they have lived up to King’s dream of helping create a beloved community.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American
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