{"id":22426,"date":"2025-01-20T16:14:18","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T21:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/news\/?p=22426"},"modified":"2025-01-21T10:30:29","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T15:30:29","slug":"geisel-school-of-medicine-honors-the-life-and-legacy-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/news\/2025\/geisel-school-of-medicine-honors-the-life-and-legacy-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr\/","title":{"rendered":"Geisel School of Medicine Honors the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Rob Strong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Geisel School of Medicine\u2019s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\u2019s legacy during its third annual, \u201cI AM THE DREAM: Past, Present and Future\u201d service awards luncheon on January 17. This year\u2019s \u201cFood is Medicine\u201d theme, centered on King\u2019s civil rights fight to end hunger and food insecurity\u2014he believed food equity is a critical component of social justice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lisa McBride, PhD, associate dean for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, welcomed everyone gathered to recognize individuals who have strengthened communities and created solutions to social problems \u201cto move us closer to Dr. King\u2019s vision of a Beloved Community where everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger, and hate.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She encouraged everyone to join Geisel\u2019s <\/span>#MLKFoodisMedicine<\/span><\/i> initiative that incorporates a variety of supportive programs and services to bridge the connection between food, nutrition, and health in the greater Upper Valley throughout 2025.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Keynote speaker Gerald Onuoha II, MD, MS\u201915. Photo by Rob Strong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keynote speaker Gerald Onuoha II, MD, MS\u201915, named one of the top 10 doctors under 40 by the National Medical Association, is a leading expert in health equity, and committed to bringing communities together to support equality for everyone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He established The Project Dream Community Initiative designed to help underprivileged and underserved students matriculate from high school to college, and on to medical, dental, or graduate school. He also created Everybody vs. Racism, an organization whose mission is to eradicate racism and discrimination of any kind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Onuoha talked about the power of unity, the risks associated with progress, and the importance of brotherly love in the continued march for freedom.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDartmouth,\u201d he began, \u201cprepares you to thrive in any challenge.\u201d He said he is proud of Dartmouth because while society now looks through a myopic political lens, the college presses forward with its commitment to unity that began in the early 1800s when the school admitted its first Black medical student\u2014<\/span>Dr. Samuel Ford McGill<\/span><\/a>. The strides Dartmouth has taken are a beacon of light to the entire nation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot only are we celebrating King\u2019s legacy, but we are also celebrating ourselves and how far we have come, what remains to be done, and how we as individuals and as a collective, can work towards Dr. King\u2019s dream.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProgress is hard, it\u2019s risky, it takes work, and you have to endure the various false starts, rollbacks, and the voices of cynicism,\u201d he said. \u201cProgress is heavy, but it\u2019s fragile. It flickers in dark times and is hard to see \u2026 but progress is also nourishing, and it can replenish \u2026. It is a strong foundation to build on and those who endure the hard times can enjoy the fruits of its labor. Progress allows us to keep going, not as the way we were but as a better version of who we will become.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n