As part of Black History Month celebrations and also to commemorate the legacy of civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the University of Maryland, Baltimore organized a program in the MSTF auditorium on February 5th.
President Ramsay commenced the program speaking briefly about the importance of Dr. King's work. Ayana Daley, a second year student in the school of social work, then sang the Black National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”
The keynote speaker for the event was Sheila Dixon, 48th mayor of Baltimore. Dixon began her speech with a candid story about her journey to mayor. Traumatic events in the city, such as riots and disciplinary action by the National Guard following Dr. King's assassination, shaped Dixon's vision for the future of Baltimore.
“You will amount to nothing,” said a Baltimore public elementary school teacher to Dixon over four decades ago. Dixon believes those words, instead of crushing her will, propelled her desire to excel, culminating in her ascension as Baltimore's first female African-American mayor.
Being a politician, Dixon could not resist a chance at satire on the current administration's budgetary allowance on war and the need for change. She said the day she was speaking at UMB happened to be “Super Tuesday,” a day when a mass of primary elections across the country allowed voters to choose between the first woman president, the first African-American president, or choose more of the same; a comment that evoked much laughter and applause from the audience. Dixon had publicly endorsed Senator Barack Obama just weeks before.
Each year, two Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Diversity Recognition Awards are presented to an outstanding student group and a faculty or staff member that has embodied the dream and ideals of Dr. King. The student winners this year were law school members who participated in the Maryland Katrina and Indigent Defense Project. The project helped in the massive reconstruction process on the post-Katrina Gulf Coast. Of 150 student, faculty and alumni members, 22 students traveled to the affected areas and devoted their time, labor and legal expertise towards helping victims of the 2004 hurricane. To date, the group has raised over $37,000 and made four trips to the affected region.
The Outstanding UMB Faculty/Staff Award went to Dr. Hugh Mighty, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. His efforts in providing accessible and quality medical care to pregnant women, especially the under-privileged in West Baltimore, along with his contributions towards enhancing campus diversity made him an excellent candidate for the award. Mighty received his award in the presence of his aged mother, to whom he attributed his success.
2008 Woodie Awards
