{"id":106926,"date":"2024-01-16T01:58:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T07:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=106926"},"modified":"2024-01-15T19:15:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T01:15:07","slug":"med-center-honors-the-legacy-of-martin-luther-king-jr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2024\/01\/16\/med-center-honors-the-legacy-of-martin-luther-king-jr\/","title":{"rendered":"Med center honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Walter Brooks, an author, journalist, social research investigator and community activist, spoke at the medical center Monday as the keynote speaker for the 2024 UNMC and Nebraska Medicine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. And he closed his impassioned presentation on the work of Dr. King with an important question: Who\u2019s got next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brooks told his audience that people have often said to him, \u201cI\u2019m no Martin Luther King, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo which I always say, \u2018Of course you are,\u2019\u201d Brooks said. \u201cNo, you’re not going to win a Nobel Peace Prize and achieve his greatness and immortality. None of us will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut we all have the ability and the capacity, and if we will make the time, we can help those in need restore their health, develop their wellness, admit their spiritual wholeness and find some measure of fulfillment in this life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brooks challenged his audience to step up and push America forward toward a better place, adding that it isn\u2019t going to be easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. King of all people knew that. That’s why today, on the first national federal holiday in American history to commemorate an American citizen of color, Martin Luther King Jr. has only one question to ask of all of us. It is the most important question; in fact, it is the only question that matters in this coming year of 2024. Who’s got next?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ada Walker, JD, vice president and chief inclusivity officer for Nebraska Medicine, and Sheritta Strong, MD, assistant vice chancellor of inclusion at UNMC, opened the event. Walker said she was inspired by the med center community, adding that she hoped attendees in turn would be inspired to continue Dr. King\u2019s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s Unsung Hero Award winners also were announced at the event (watch UNMC Today and Nebraska Medicine NOW for an upcoming story on the awardees):<\/p>\n\n\n\n