Message from the Provost

Dear Members of the MSU Community:

This year, as in the 27 years before, Michigan State University will commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a wide range of celebratory events. The thematic focus of this year's celebration, exploring civil rights through art and culture, dovetails nicely with the University's year-long celebration of the Year of Arts and Culture.

One prominent component of both celebrations is a focus on the significant educational value of art and artistic expression. Art challenges us to look at things from diverse points of view and think about a wide range of human experiences. It provides one of our best strategies for teaching about multiple perspectives - a required approach to learning and understanding for success in the 21st century.

In the context of civil rights, the arts have always played a primary role in bringing about social change. Art has provided a way to articulate vision - and to voice opposition. The arts have succeeded in teaching critical lessons that other curricular approaches cannot even begin to address. To this day, the inspirational sermons of Dr. King stand as forceful testimony of the power of artistic expression to both educate and ignite social change.

African-American actor and activist Ossie Davis once said "any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change - it can not only move us, it makes us move." When thought about in this way, the transformative power of art to advance civil rights becomes preeminently clear. The diverse range of activities planned for this year's commemorative celebration - from the "Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest" concert to the "Quilts and Human Rights" exhibition - exemplify art's ability to move us, and to make us move.

This year, as we celebrate the significant contributions of Dr. King in advancing civil rights, let us take special note of the significant and unique power of the arts in that same struggle. Let us honor the vision and strength of both Dr. King and countless others who, by way of their creative expressions, found ways to make the world a better place. In so doing, may we be inspired by their dedication, and dedicated to finding ways of our own to make a positive difference.

Sincerely,

Kim A. Wilcox

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs