A message from President Tim Sands in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
To the Virginia Tech community,
Today we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and begin a celebration week in his honor called “The Fierce Urgency of Now.” The title is a quote from Dr. King’s iconic speech at the 1963 March on Washington. He repeated the phrase at the conclusion of his 1967 speech about the war in Vietnam, and while his message was focused on the challenges of that day, his words continue to ring true for us.
“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today,” Dr. King said. “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time.”
The pace of change in higher education is accelerating rapidly, and at Virginia Tech it often feels like “tomorrow is today.” It has never been more important for us to advance InclusiveVT as our institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence.
I want to thank the MLK Committee for developing this year’s celebration. Information about our events is available through our Cultural and Community Centers at ccc.vt.edu. I urge each of you to take time this week to participate and honor Dr. King’s legacy.
Tim Sands,
President
