"A Long, Long Way": Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 60th Anniversary SMU Visit Commemoration

March 17, 1966, was a monumental day in SMU history. It was then that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited campus and gave a nearly one-hour speech to a sold-out McFarlin Auditorium about “The Future of Integration.” 

In commemoration of Dr. King’s 60th anniversary visit, Social Change and Intercultural Engagement (SCIE) invites the SMU and the local community to an impactful and educational evening in the same venue where he spoke.

The event will be a two-part event: Context and Conversation. 
Context (Part 1) will provide a historical narrative, showcasing documents and photos that chronicled his visit, as well as archived high-quality audio excerpts from his speech that night. Conversation (Part 2) will be a moderated panel discussion featuring SMU and local clergy who will reflect on the significance of Dr. King’s visit and speech in 1966, as well as the relevance of his message today, in 2026.   

Moderator: 
Richie Butler ‘93; Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Project Unity and Senior Pastor of St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, SMU Board of Trustees Member

Panelists: 
Dr. Maria Dixon Hall; Chief Cultural Intelligence Officer and Senior Advisor to the President, Southern Methodist University
Reverend Lisa Garvin; Chaplain and Minister to the University, Southern Methodist University 
Dr. Theodore Walker; Associate Professor of Ethics and Society, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University    

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