Fifty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., just one in 10 African Americans think the United States has achieved all or most of the goals of the civil rights movement. That’s according to a recent poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. On Wednesday’s Access Utah, on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s death, we’ll talk about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his legacy, and the future of the ideals he so eloquently articulated and strove for.
Our guest for the hour will be Dr. Forrest C. Crawford, Professor of Teacher Education at Weber State University, and founder of Utah's Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission. Dr. Crawford has lived in Utah since 1972. He is originally from Oklahoma where he grew up in a largely segregated community and attended segregated schools and churches. Dr. Crawford will reflect on Dr. King as a “reluctant” leader and how he reconciled his inevitable martyrdom; and what Dr. King would say today, given the current socio-cultural-political climate. We’ll also look to the future of activism in our changing society.
Jason Gilmore, USU Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, will call in during the hour from Memphis. Professor Gilmore and several students will be in Memphis as a part of “King’s Road: 2018 USU Civil Rights Pilgrimage.” They are also contributing to a UPR original series “King’s Road: Where Do We Go From Here?”
Dr. Forrest C. Crawford has worked at Weber State University for 41 years. He co-founded and helped to establish a number of organizations like the WSU Native American Symposium (2006), Delta Sigma Theta-a professional Society for African American women (1988), and the State Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission (1990). He has presented papers and lectured world-wide and was elected Secretary General for the International Society for Teacher Education (2008-2014). Dr. Crawford is a notable voice in Utah education and civic life and is asked to teach, train and speak throughout the state; serving on numerous committees and boards like The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and the Utah American Civil Liberties Union. He is current board chair of Northern Utah's HIV/AIDS Coalition and Member Emeritus / Advisor to the board of the Utah Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Commission.
