The light shone brightly on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, and Wittenberg’s annual MLK Convocation brought that light to the community through the words of this year’s guest speaker and ‘94 alumnus, Christopher E. Thompson, in his speech, “The Light We Find, the Light We Carry.”
Opening remarks and speakers
The Convocation opened with a welcome from President Christian Brady, who introduced the historic figure of Martin Luther King Jr. by comparing him to biblical prophets. He claimed that King was driven by the “Christian desire for societal reform,” which mirrored how prophets, “called leaders and the people of the nation back to following God’s law.”
According to Brady, King highlighted the “legal and societal injustice[s] present in 20th century America”—which, Brady remarked, shouldn’t only remain as an idea “in the past tense.”
Marjory Wentworth, Director of the Writing Center and the Oral Communication Center, and former poet laureate of South Carolina, then read her poem “Rivers of Wind.”
Following Wentworth, Janet Jackson, ‘75 alumna and “mother-in-love” to Thompson, was next on the podium to introduce him. She told the story of when Thompson began dating her step-daughter, and expressed that he was “always willing to actively listen to you, and where appropriate, coach you.”
Thompson's speech
Thompson greeted the community with a smile, discussing his interpretation of Wittenberg’s motto, “Having Light We Pass It On To Others."
He noted that in trying to live up to the names of those like King, “we forget we have a name ourselves.” He stated that people have to be willing to put their names into conversations and to say ‘yes’ to opportunities.
Thompson, a leadership coach among other titles, led the community in singing lyrics from “This Little Light of Mine” and turned the song into a message about how our light has a “responsibility” to shine on others. “It’s not just about having that dream or that light, it's about being that light,” he stated, referencing King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
The speaker shared anecdotes of how both peers and faculty during his time at Wittenberg helped him to realize and grow his light into the beacon it is today. Our light, he maintained, is not for ourselves, but for those who need it.
Thompson also talked about how to shine that light through access, which he states, creates trust. Access is “about proximity to context, not just proximity to people,” he said. “People create confusion by commenting on content without context.”
This trusted access to context, he stressed, is “the difference between being present and being influential.”
Circling back to the focal point of the day, Thompson questioned what King would think of the world now. He mused that King would express concern for “how easily we confuse comfort with peace and silence with unity.” He asserted that King would not just ask a person what they believe, but “how are you treating people while holding those beliefs?”
Thompson closed out his speech by presenting an acronym, LIGHT: to shine, people must Love, remain Interested, be Good, be Honest and have Hope, and Trust others. Compassion and empathy must be our guides, he advised students, faculty, and the members of the community in attendance.
The convocation ended with a recitation of the hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” led by Kristina Bryant Reed, Director of Student Conduct, and Antwan Terrell, Class of 2026.
