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"Boston College's creation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship was not just historic, but visionary," said Darcel D. Clark - a New York Supreme Court Justice, a BC Trustee, and the first recipient of the scholarship in 1982 - on the night of the 25th Anniversary Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Award Banquet.
The winner of the 2007 Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship was Jacqueline Grant, A&S '08. The banquet hosted approximately 150 students and family members of the nominees and was held in the Rat.
Aside from Grant, the nominees for this year's scholarship were Trevor Bass, CSOM '08, Marvin Francois, CSOM '08, Brittany Macklin, A&S '08, and Lauren Weaver, A&S '08. All were present, with the exception of Francois, who is currently studying abroad in Spain.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Committee co-chair June Andrews-Horowitz described the criteria for the award during her opening remarks.
"The recipient of this award is a junior who is being recognized for their outstanding scholastic and community service records," she said.
Upon receiving the award, Grant said that she was excited to see that many of the people present were exerting their leadership in their respective communities. "Martin Luther King, Jr.'s message is universal. It transcends generations and racial divides," said Grant.
She also added that she was grateful that her parents could look past their racial divide to nurture her and help her embrace her multicultural identity.
"If we all live out Martin Luther King, Jr.'s morals, we, as a nation, would be a moral force to be reckoned with. I hope I have inspired students of all racial backgrounds to follow their passions and stand up for civil rights," she said as she finished her speech.
Grant, an AHANA scholar, joined the group FACES during her freshman year, a period in her life during which, as she said, she was in the "beginning stages" of understanding her multiracial identity. She is now the co-director of FACES, as well as an RA and a member of the Student Judicial Board.
Grant is also deeply involved in fundraising for a specific Hurricane Katrina school relief fund, which she mentioned in her speech.
"I am hopeful that my being a recipient of this award will help further the fundraising for [her] Hurricane Katrina fund," she said.
Clark and Andrew-Horowitz were two of the multiple speakers of the night before the 2007 winner was announced. Among the other speakers was Dan Bunch, treasurer of the Committee; Stephen J. Pemberton from the Class of 1989 and Chief Diversity Officer of Monster.com; Alexandria Bradshaw, the 2006 recipient of the scholarship; Brenda Henry-Brown, co-chair of the Committee; University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.; and Dom DeLeo, co-chair of the Committee.
After the opening remarks and a brief history of the Committee from Andrews-Horowitz,and a performance from the group Voices of Imani, speakers came to the podium one at a time at the banquet. Each expressed the same urgency for diversity and for race barriers to be knocked down.
Pemberton, who worked as an admissions counselor at BC for about 10 years before leaving and becoming the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion as well as the Chief Diversity Officer at Monster.com, begged for more open conversation in society to overcome barriers. His two grandfathers, who were of differing ethnicity, were a topic he brought up during his speech.
"I only wish [my grandfathers] were still around, so the three of us could sit down at a coffee shop or something and I could just listen to them talk," he said.
Bradshaw was the next one to step up to the podium.
"Dr. King's dream has yet to be realized," said Bradshaw during her remarks. "I see it plastered on McDonald's drink cups and mentioned in commercials during Black History Month, but that's about it."
Bradshaw also urged the audience to "expose oppression."
"Do not stand idle and dream," she added before she brought her speech to a close.
It was Leahy who actually presented the award to Grant, and before doing so, he offered some words of his own.
"Think about the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life. There's more to be done on campus, in the U.S., and in the world. There is a sense of urgency because there are issues that need attention," he said. He compared the values and visions of Martin Luther King, Jr. to the university's Judeo-Christian values, including a love of God and a love of one's neightbor. "This is not just a call, it's a mandate, an expectation.
Before Leahy presented Grant with her award, he made one final comment.
"We must remember that anything done out of love is worth doing," he said. "And above all, we must avoid the temptation of despair and giving up."
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