Queens College, in a poignant commemoration ceremony, paid a heartfelt tribute to the enduring legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event served as a platform to honor the profound impact of Dr. King’s vision and principles, while also shining a spotlight on the remarkable contributions of Jennifer Jones Austin, a distinguished advocate for social change and CEO/executive director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA).
FPWA is an organization devoted to fighting for equal opportunity for all, focusing on dismantling systemic barriers for persons of color, women, and children.
The ceremony, held on Sunday, was marked by a spirit of reflection, unity, and appreciation for the ongoing relevance of Dr. King’s teachings. In his address, Queens College President Frank H. Wu eloquently highlighted the significance of Dr. King’s legacy in shaping the ethos of Queens College and reiterated the institution’s commitment to fostering a community rooted in justice and equality. He also spoke of the connection that Dr. King has to Queens College.
He further elaborated, “we feel a special bond to Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. because in 1965 he delivered a major speech in our Coldea Auditorium and it was for the memory of President John F Kennedy. Dr King came and he spoke about the murder of Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner. They were civil rights workers who went down to register voters…and they were brutally killed. Goodman was a student here and Schwerner’s brother and family have been involved with Queens College and the City University of New York, so we named our clock tower at the library Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner in their memory, so we feel a particular bond to Dr. King because of his historic visit those many years ago.”
Jennifer Jones Austin hailed as a daughter of the civil rights movement and a prominent advocate for social justice, conveyed heartfelt gratitude during her acceptance speech. Recognizing the significance of the honor bestowed upon her, she expressed appreciation for Queens College’s acknowledgment, considering it a testament to the progress made and a reminder of the ongoing work ahead.
“As a daughter of the civil rights movement, I am a beneficiary of all the good that resulted from the hard work, the sweat, tears, and bloodshed by the leaders and doers of that movement, and as a daughter and beneficiary I am now the burden-bearer of this generations civil rights movement. You too are the burden bearers for as Dr. King and other selfless leaders taught us, our work will not be done until all God’s children are free…they didn’t march for just some to be free by the burdens of poverty but for all to be free. And so we come together to pick up the burdens laid down by our leaders who have gone on to their reward in glory and to recommit ourselves to the war against poverty, the war against gun violence, the war against continuing discrimination on the basis of race, sexual orientation, immigration and gender, injustice, disenfranchisement that threatens present and future of our children.”
Austin was raised in a family active in the civil rights movement, her father being a confidant of Martin Luther King Jr, serving as president of the New York chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and president of its economic justice arm, Operation Breadbasket, locally and nationally.
The commemoration at Queens College stood as a powerful reminder of the enduring legacy of Reverend Dr. King Jr. and the collective responsibility to uphold his teachings in creating a more just and equitable society. The event showcased how educational institutions, through meaningful tributes and recognition of contemporary advocates such as Jennifer Jones Austin, can continue to inspire positive change within their communities and beyond.
