Leah Gunning Francis, IU Health’s chief mission & values officer, gave the university's keynote address for its Jan. 20, 2025, Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration.
(Courtesy, Indiana University Bloomington)
Indiana University celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday morning, inviting conversations about the potential for change and awarding those who capture King’s vision at the university.
Francis focused on the impact of King’s words today. She partially delivered King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, given Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
“As we celebrate the life of Dr King today, a question for us is, what does the dream look like for us today?” Francis said. “Are we as a country working toward this dream where all people regardless of who they are, how they look, whom they love, where they live, are valued as full human beings? How are we addressing the needs of the poor, disenfranchised, disabled or marginalized? Is everyone included in this vision of thriving, or just a few?”
Health outcomes for Black people are significantly worse than those for white people, because of generations of injustice, she said. And after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action and race-based admission, Black and Latino students’ enrollment in medical schools dropped.
Francis said Indiana’s health equity can’t improve without talking about racism, but the context today is “increasingly hostile.” Francis said these conversations are prevented when diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are being dismantled, books on slavery and Jim Crow laws are banned, and laws are targeting “divisive topics” in the classroom.
“If we are to dream a world of thriving for all, A) we must first accept that the way things are, are not the way things have to be,” Francis said.
To dream of a future of hope for all, Francis said, one must be willing to speak the truth amid evil words, defamation and propaganda.
“We speak words that we know are going to be good,” Francis said. “False narratives have played a particular role in the lives of many people of color; people who identified as gay, lesbian, transgender; people for whom English is not their first language; and many more.”
Recipients of the Building Bridges Award were announced at the celebration. The awards honor people who “capture Dr. King’s vision, spirit, and leadership in ways both big and small.”
The recipients are:
Nabile Galván, IU Bloomington
Israel Herrera, IU Bloomington
Kimberly McElroy-Jones, IU Indianapolis
Allison Shelton-Jones, IU Indianapolis
Maddison Brittain, IU Columbus
Stephanie Serriere, IU Columbus
Rozlen Jeter, IU East
Sharon Roberts, IU Fort Wayne
Maria Zamudio-Nino, IU Fort Wayne
Carver Community Center, IU Kokomo
Rosie Wood, IU Kokomo
Vanessa Allen-McCloud, IU Northwest
Mina Mahmood, IU Northwest
Cush Cuthbertson, IU South Bend
David Saleh, IU South Bend
Alpha Epsilon Multicultural Society, IU Southeast
Sumreen Asim, IU Southeast
IUSM DEI Coalition, IU School of Medicine
Lauren Nephew, IU School of Medicine
IU President Pamela Whitten said IU tries to “answer Dr. King’s call” through diversifying the student body and making campus more welcoming for people of all races, ethnicities, genders and religions.
“As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, enduring legacy, let us reaffirm our commitment to the principles that he stood for,” Whitten said. “Together, we can continue to build a community that embodies his vision of equality and peace.”
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her ataubmwrig@iu.eduor follow her on X@aubreymwright.
