Bowdoin Community, First Parish Church Remember MLK’s Visit

Standing at the same pulpit King had occupied back in 1964, the Rev. John Allen described how the church overflowed that day and offered up a prayer of thanks, reminding the congregation of the power of King's words.

Taking part in the service were two Bowdoin senior vice presidents-Benje Douglas, head of the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, and Dean for Student Affairs Jim Hoppe -who participated in the litany of remembrance. In his remarks, Douglas talked about the sacrifices King made for his beliefs, particularly the ultimate sacrifice paid four years after coming to Brunswick, when King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.

"At Bowdoin, we don't ask students to make the ultimate sacrifice, obviously," said Douglas, "but we do ask them to think critically about what they can do to build a better place for all members of the community." One of the easiest things to sacrifice, he explained, is any sense of self-righteousness, "the idea that you're always right, and the people you disagree with are always wrong." It's important, he said, to accept that "not only are you not always right, but sometimes you can actually be wrong." On this particular occasion, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, we all need to sacrifice one specific thing, Douglas stressed, "which is the notion that we're done, because we're not.

This sentiment was echoed by the congregation, who responded in unison to the litany with the words of King himself: "We have come a long way. …. We have a long way to go."