President Reif says that in driving social change, “students have become our teachers”
Reviving a tradition that was dormant for more than two decades, this year’s 42nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at MIT began with a silent march by several dozen students, faculty, staff, and administrators solemnly making their way from Lobby 7 to the annual luncheon at Walker Memorial Hall. There, MIT President L. Rafael Reif began his introduction of the speakers by reminding the assembled crowd that here on campus, “this has been quite a year – an extraordinary year. On topics from race, inclusion and social justice, to climate change, this year our students have, in many ways, become our teachers.” Citing one example of such teaching, Reif recalled a meeting with leaders of two associations of black students, who he said “were thoughtful, creative, persistent, specific, collaborative, constructive, and serious. … They set the tone for mutual respect — and they earned tremendous respect in return.” The groups came...