The Knox College community gathered on the cold morning of January 20, 2025, to take part in the College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. This event, held annually since 2002, marks its 23rd iteration, beckoning students, faculty, staff, and Galesburg community members to gather for reflection in Harbach Theatre. This year’s event was highlighted by keynote speaker 2023 Knox Honorary Degree recipient Michelle Kuo, LL.D. ’23. 

Provost and Dean of the College Michael Schneider opened the Convocation, acknowledging the significant contributions of the entire Knox community who have helped shepherd the annual event in years past, as well as those who worked towards bringing Kuo to campus including the MLK Convocation planning committee.

Kuo addressed the audience with heartfelt thanks, expressing the honor she felt flying from Taiwan to participate in this significant event. She spoke about her personal reflections on King's legacy, emphasizing the radical and determined nature of King's fight for justice. She highlighted the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the foundational "spadework" (the hard labor done by individuals in service to racial justice) done by activists like Ella Baker, who worked tirelessly to empower Black voters amidst the era's pervasive violence and fear.

Kuo connected King's struggles to those faced by students today, illustrating parallels between the civil rights era and the current global challenges. She urged those in attendance to tell their own stories, which she pointed to as part of King’s message. 

“When you begin to find the words to tell your story, to even know what your story is, it means you’re working through the shame of living in an unjust society. But it also means feeling the joy in the authority to speak about yourself,” she said. 

She recounted King’s journey from early aspirations to be a doctor to studying the teachings of Gandhi and embracing nonviolence. Despite doubts and criticisms, King persisted in his advocacy for shared power, culminating in his final speech of support for sanitation workers in Memphis before his assassination in 1968.

“King once said ‘We have to believe in a world where power is truly shared. If we become separatists, we’re opting out of the world and giving up on the voiceless who need others to empower them,’” Kuo recalled. 

Sharing her personal journey, Kuo reflected on her time as a teacher in an under-resourced alternative school, where she sought to connect with students who had never met an Asian American before. Through literature, she found a way to reach them, highlighting the power of individuality and the importance of giving time and space for quiet reflection.

After leaving this position, Kuo later returned to help a former student facing legal troubles, underscored by the ongoing struggles of poverty and segregation. Her story served as the basis for her memoir Reading with Patrick.

In her concluding remarks, Kuo urged the young audience members to embrace their power and cultivate it. She applauded Knox students' commitment to social justice, drawing parallels to the abolitionist roots of the College and the continued fight for prison reform, migrant rights, and equality. 

“Do not let anyone ever tell you you’re not authentically Asian enough, Black enough, Yellow enough, Green enough. You know what values are. You know right from wrong,” she added. 

The Convocation concluded with a performance by the Knox College Choir of Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson under the direction of Conductor, Assistant Professor of Music, and Director of Choral Activities Dr. Bram Wayman. This performance was followed by closing remarks from Assistant Vice President for Student Development Kamilah Williams, who encouraged the audience to reflect on their role in King's legacy and closed with King's resonant quote: "The time is always right to do what is right."