Randolph-Macon College celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 18, 2016 in Blackwell Auditorium, RMC Center for the Performing Arts. Lenneal Henderson, visiting instructor at the College of William & Mary, delivered the keynote address, sharing his reflections about his leadership experiences and how they have been influenced by the life and leadership of King.

Photos: MLK Day

RMC President Robert R. Lindgren welcomed guests to the ceremony.

“Dr. King spoke often about the power of communities coming together to make positive differences for the benefit of all humankind,” said Lindgren. “His eloquence, his passion, and the way he lived those ideals without compromise in the face of hatred and bigotry and violence inspires us to this day—and to celebrate this day.”

Henderson recalled that King was “centered without being self-centered and held no bitterness towards others.” Noting that King’s birth name was Michael, and that he was known in his neighborhood as Mike, Henderson said, “His dream was divinely inclusive. He sought jobs and equality for everyone and was an excellent mentor for young people.”

Henderson urged the audience to spend time giving back to the community.

“Meditate and get in touch with your spiritual self to replenish and renew your spirit,” he said.After his presentation, Henderson presented Lindgren with two books written by King. The books will be available in RMC’s McGraw-Page Library.

Following Henderson’s talk, RMC’s Ujima Gospel Choir performed “It’s Me Oh Lord” and “I Opened My Mouth.”

Lenneal Henderson
In addition to his role as visiting instructor at the College of William & Mary, Henderson is an assistant dean for Civic Engagement and International Affairs; distinguished professor of Government and Public Administration and Senior Fellow at the William Donald Schaefer Center for Public Policy; senior fellow in the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics; and professor emeritus at the University of Baltimore, where he was formerly a Henry C. Welcome Fellow. He is a former faculty member of Howard University in Washington, D.C.; the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and the University of San Francisco.

Henderson first met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the University of California, Berkeley in 1967. One of his professors received a grant that allowed Henderson and 34 other students to participate in the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign. Henderson arrived in Washington a day after King’s assassination but proceeded on to the mall where Resurrection City, a tent city made up of marchers, was located. He resided there all 42 days.

With extensive experience in the District of Columbia, Henderson served as chairman of the Mayor’s Budget Commission for nearly five years; as chair of the Citizen’s Energy Advisory Committee for D.C.; and as a consultant on utility and real estate issues to the D.C. Office of General Services.

He currently serves on the boards of LifeNet Health, Inc. in Virginia Beach and on the Environmental Action Foundation; he is also chair of the Board of the Maryland Humanities Council. Henderson also served on the boards of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture; the Baltimore Urban League; and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In addition, he is a founding board member of the Reginald Lewis Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture.

His books include The New Black Politics: The Search for Political Power (edited with Michael Preston and Paul Puryear), Public Administration and Public Policy: A Minority Perspective (with Lawrence Howard and Deryl Hunt) and, most recently, Dimensions of Learning: Education for Life (with Bernice D. Johnson, Debra Parker and Magnoria Lunsford).

About the Program
For many years, Randolph-Macon College has celebrated the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by inviting a distinguished speaker to campus to commemorate King’s birthday. Recent speakers have included former Virginia Governor and Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, Pastor and Civil Rights leader Wyatt Tee Walker, Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones, entrepreneur Shelia Johnson, and Secretary of Commerce and Trade in the Commonwealth of Virginia Maurice Jones.