Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, visited the University on Wednesday to speak to students and the community as part of the annual series to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Spearheaded by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Distinguished Speaker Series, the event saw King joined by moderators Nkiru Nzegwu, a SUNY distinguished professor of Africana studies and the founder of the digital platform Africa Knowledge Project, and Donald Hall, the University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

It was co-sponsored by the president’s office, the provost’s office, the Africana Studies Department, the Student Association’s vice president for multicultural affairs, the Black Student Union, the University Gospel Choir and the Pi Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

The fireside chat, held in the Osterhout Concert Theater, tackled a range of recent political events and social justice issues. It was followed by a signing of “What Is My Legacy?” a book written by King, Arndrea Waters King, Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger.

“As students at Binghamton University, each of you have unlimited potential to make a difference in the world, and now, more than ever, that potential is needed to confront today’s many challenges,” King wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream sent before the talk. “You have the power to define your own path and create your own legacy. I hope it is one of service that defines not only your career but in how you show up for your community and country. It is precisely during times of division and chaos that your voice, your actions, and your commitment to justice matter most.”

“Your legacy won’t just be defined by your achievements — it will be shaped by the service you offer to others and the ways in which you help enhance the lives of others,” he added. “So, study hard and learn to think critically, act with compassion, and tap into that vast well of potential to help create a future that is better for everyone.”

Through his work as a human rights activist, philanthropist and advocate, King has continued his father’s legacy, fighting for human rights and combating racism, violence and poverty. Like his father, King addresses social, political and economic injustices while advocating for the rights of marginalized communities through nonviolent means.

A performance of Marvin Sapp’s “Praise Him In Advance,” started off the evening, followed by introductions from Karen Jones, the University’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, and Sean Pena, a member of the Pi Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. The crowd then heard Aiyana George, the publications coordinator of the Black Student Union and a senior majoring in cinema, perform a spoken-word poem.

“Where are the stories for girls like me,” George began. “The dreamers, the doers, the ones who wear their skin like a crown, who dance through the world with the scent of possibility, who write their journeys on the thunder of society.”

A standing ovation began as King and the two faculty members took the stage. Nzegwu, also a Nelson Mandela visiting professor at Rhodes University in South Africa and a professor extraordinarius at the University of South Africa, and Hall asked King questions about several subjects, including politics, government, nonviolence and youth political involvement.

King said many Americans have become desensitized to violence, pointing to the normalization of active shooter drills in schools and the mainstream media’s focus on polarizing news. To create meaningful progress in overcoming the “triple evils” of poverty, racism and violence, King said, civility needs to return to political discourse.

He spoke about his experience as one of the first Black students at a recently integrated public elementary school, saying that at the time, one student frequently called him names and acted hatefully toward him. King noted that even at a young age, this student was troubled. He told an anecdote, emphasizing his decision to connect with the student on a human level, complimenting his artwork.

“What do you feel your future is in a nation that has so many amazing ethnic groups and people, and we don’t all have to be the same,” King said. “We don’t even all have to agree on every issue. Sometimes, we have to disagree without being disagreeable.”

All Americans deserve access to housing, health care, education and justice, King added, addressing the persisting fractured political climate in the United States. He mentioned some of President Donald Trump’s controversial executive orders, his immigration policy and the threats imposed more broadly on civil rights across the country.

Throughout the conversation, King expressed strong concern at the violence and polarization he sees in today’s America. Taking a more optimistic perspective, he also emphasized his hopes for the future, especially in light of growing youth action and advocacy.

King described an occasion when his daughter, Yolanda Renee King, asked former President Barack Obama what would be done about gun control, adding that she spoke out against gun violence at March for Our Lives. He praised her ability, and many other young people’s, to be uncompromising in their values.

Ending the discussion, Yvedrenne Pierre, the vice president of the Black Student Union and a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, asked King some questions submitted by students and alumni. Responding to one about lessons his parents taught him, King discouraged insincere idolization of his father, urging listeners to instead live each day by his values.

“What he would want us to do is to live and embrace the ideals,” King said. “Because when the third Monday of January comes around every year, we take the idol off the shelf, we dust it off, we look at it, ‘this is great.’ We do something one day, and then we go back and put the idol back on the shelf. It’s not that, it really is embracing the ideals of peace and justice and equity and freedom.”

A Martin Luther King Jr. statue, unveiled in 2010, stands on Binghamton’s River Walk at the Court Street Bridge. On Jan. 20, community members and local political officials gathered in Binghamton celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr with prayers, spiritual music and speeches from local leaders.

“Being in the presence of and hearing the words of MLK III was incredibly inspirational,” wrote Ari Hoffman, a freshman majoring in political science. “He continues to honor the legacy of his father and the other numerous civil rights activities of the 20th century in such a beautiful way.”