Each year, the Multicultural Center will sponsor a campus-wide program to celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event is free and open to the public.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Program
Whitley Auditorium
Noon
Free & open to the public
This year's speaker is Dr. Ronald L. Carter, 13th president of Johnson C. Smith University.
Dr. Ronald L. Carter, a native of High Point, N.C., became the 13th president of Johnson C. Smith University on July 1, 2008. With more than 30 years serving students and universities, Dr. Carter brings an impressive record of community leadership, academic administration, strategic planning, and budget management to the position.
Upon graduating magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and philosophy from Morehouse College in 1971, Dr. Carter began his distinguished career at Boston University as the director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Career, Educational, and Counseling Services. By 1981 he rose to become the school’s youngest dean of students. While at Boston University, Dr. Carter pursued his graduate studies, earning both a Master of Theology degree and a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion. He also served as senior editor of Debate and Understanding, a scholarly journal for the study of minority Americans’ economic, political, and social development.
In the late 1980s, Dr. Carter interaction with relatives of Nelson Mandela compelled him to put his abilities to work in South Africa. He went on to be named Dean of Students at the University of Witwatersrand, one of South Africa’s premier institutions. Upon returning to the United States in 1997, Dr. Carter took the position of provost and dean of faculty at Coker College in Hartsville, S.C. His almost 11-year tenure at Coker College included key roles in the private liberal arts college’s strategic planning, academic and student development, financial management, and community development.
His expertise in medical ethics and community involvement have brought him several national appointments, including moderator for the National Meeting of the Medical Institute for Sexual Health (2004-2006), chair of expert panel for the Connecting Parenting Adults and Youth Project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006), and chair of expert review panel of Scientific Measurement for An Abstinence Rating Tool funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007).
Among his many honors and awards, Dr. Carter was appointed a Sloan Scholar at Morehouse College, a Danforth Fellow at Boston University, and a Merrill Scholar at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Carter was the recipient of the 2010 YMCA Spirit Award and the Alpha Lambda Omega Chapter of AKA PEARL Award.
Since becoming president of John C. Smith University, Dr. Carter has become very involved in the Charlotte community. Currently, he is a board member with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Charlotte Streetcar Advisory Committee, Charlotte Center City Partners, Charlotte Regional Partnership, Charlotte Museum of History, and Foundation for the Carolinas.
He is the father of one daughter, Tumelo Rosalind Carter, and has served as a foster parent to four children.
Established in 2001, the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Essay Contest was designed to promote awareness of Dr. King's vision for a more humane nation. The contest is open to all middle school students in grades 6, 7 and 8 enrolled in private, public and charter schools in Alamance County. Students may participate in the essay contest by submitting an application and essay.
Past winners of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Essay Contest include:
2010 Essay Contest Winner - Jordan Green, Turrentine Middle School
2009 Essay Contest Winner - Stephanie Marie Daniel, Blessed Sacrament School & Anna Paige Kirby, River Mill Academy
2008 Essay Contest Winner - Veronica Dodson, Burlington Christian Academy
2007 Essay Contest Winner - Wesley Forrest Brewer, Turrentine Middle School
2006 Essay Contest Winner - Kelsey Ashlyn Thompson, Burlington Christian Academy
2005 Essay Contest Winner - Elliott Jeffries "Jeff" Lynch, Turrentine Middle School
2004 Essay Contest Winner - Kendal LeRod Miles, Turrentine Middle School
2003 Essay Contest Winner - Benjamin Crisp, Turrentine Middle School
2002 Essay Contest Winner - Brooks Blue, Woodlawn Middle School
2001 Essay Contest Winner - Brenda Hernandez, Graham Middle School
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