Dr. Michael Williams, Elijah Cameron and Nicole Brown speak during the MLK Day brunch in the Tennessee Room. Photo by Angela Foster.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his only public appearance in Chattanooga in 1960, visiting the James A. Henry Community YMCA and speaking to a crowd of thousands at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium.
Nearly 65 years later, King’s legacy and its lasting impact were the focus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s annual MLK Day celebration.
On Friday, Jan. 31, in the University Center Tennessee Room, Dr. Michael Williams and Elijah Cameron took the stage to answer questions and reflect on Dr. King’s influence on the Chattanooga community. The Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Student and Family Engagement, and Mocs Dining sponsored the brunch.
Williams joined UTC in August 2024 as the director of the UTC Africana Studies program. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a history professor and director of the African American Studies program at the University of Texas at El Paso. He previously served as dean of the Division of Social Sciences at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, and was on the history faculty at Mississippi State University.
Elijah Cameron
Cameron’s experience includes roles as executive director of the M L King Development Corporation and business development manager for Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise. He has also served in leadership roles for the River City March of Dimes, the Chattanooga Multicultural Chamber of Commerce and the UTC Chancellor’s Roundtable.
The event was moderated by producer and community advocate Nicole Brown.
UTC Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement Stacy Lightfoot provided opening remarks.
“This year’s theme, ‘Remembering the Past and Embracing the Future,’ reminds us that the progress that we celebrate today was neither accidental nor was it inevitable,” Lightfoot said. “It was shaped by the commitment of those who refused to be silent about the things that matter because, like Dr. King told us, ‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.’
“Dr. King also reminded us that ‘True peace is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice.’ So, as we look around today, we know that tension still exists and persists—but let us not mistake discomfort for progress nor quiet for peace. The work for a stronger, more inclusive community is ongoing and each of us—we have a role to play in it.”
Panelist discussion topics focused on the power of collective action, the importance of economic justice, and preparing future generations to continue the pursuit of equality and justice.
“We’ve always been afraid to recognize that we are made up of different people,” said Cameron when asked about humanity in America. “We all are one if we accept each other. Dr. King always talked about how we as people should be one. He wanted one America, not two.”
Williams reflected on the topic of humanity and King’s sentiments about the importance of unity and compassion.
“Decent humanity is represented by love,” Williams said. “Decent humanity is represented by respect, is represented by care, is represented by the need to make sure that those who are around you are their best selves.
Dr. Michael Williams
“It’s represented by all those things and who best represents that in us—but the problem you have with that is that you can’t oppress somebody you love and care about.”
The panelists discussed nonviolence in King’s campaigns and the role of economic protest.
“You have to realize there’s a difference between nonviolence as a belief and nonviolence as a strategy. Dr. King understood that nonviolence was a strategy, and it was one that was extremely important,” Williams said.
Brown encouraged the audience—especially students—to answer questions about the civil rights movement. She explained the history of sit-ins and asked about the upcoming generation of potential leaders.
Cameron said that future generations are not as equipped for this kind of leadership because the mindset behind it has not been instilled as deeply as it was in the past.
“I’m not real sure that we prepared these young people to understand what it is to be able to do this type of thing. It’s very important to talk about the
Williams discussed the potential for future leaders who embody King’s vision.
“America isn’t waiting on someone, it’s hoping that nobody comes,” Williams said, “so what we have to do is raise up that person we’re looking for and then realize that it’s not going to be one individual. This needs to be a collective situation.”
Before wrapping up the conversation with a speed round of questions, Brown shared the role of Coretta Scott King in the civil rights movement.
“She said, ‘Every generation must regain their freedom,’” Brown said. “This is perfectly in line with our particular conversation. Students, write that down, text that out to each other. Every generation must regain their freedom.”
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