Ferrum College President Dr. Mirta Martin served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the nineteenth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast held Monday January 15 at the Pigg River Community Center hosted by the MLK Breakfast Club. The banquet room holds 325 people and almost every seat was filled. The theme of the breakfast was “Forward Together.” In her welcoming remarks, Dr. Martin quoted the Ferrum College motto: “Not Self, But Others.” She encouraged those in attendance to aspire to a life of service.
Brenda Muse ’95 is among the members of the MLK Breakfast Club and currently serves as director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Franklin County (Va.) Muse introduced representatives of local government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, and other community organizations. She also participated in presenting awards to three Franklin County charitable groups. When asked about inviting Dr. Martin to serve as MC, Muse said, “When our committee was thinking about individuals to MC the program, I immediately thought of Dr. Martin because she is still relatively new to the community and because I have been in a couple of meetings with her and have found her to be so impressive. She has the disposition to get things done and that has really impressed me about her.”
The keynote speaker of the morning was Dr. Matthew Woods ’11. Dr. Woods earned a bachelor’s degree in History and Social Studies at Ferrum College, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Virginia Tech, a graduate certificate in Education Law and Policy and an Educational Specialist certificate in Middle Grades Education from the Mary Frances Early College of Education at the University of Georgia. In addition, he holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from Radford University. He currently serves as director of Student Support Services for the Henry County (Va.) Public Schools, an adjunct instructor in Teacher Education at Ferrum College, and host of the K-12 podcast Leading Out the Woods.
Muse said Matt Woods was selected because of his ability to be a mover and a shaker. “He is young, energetic, charismatic and an excellent role model. He has a high ambition and thrives for excellence. He represents such a good example of the ethics, morals and character of Dr. King.”
During his speech, Dr. Woods encouraged those in attendance to serve their families, their friends, and their communities. He said that end goals are not enough; we must have measurable objectives as we strive to meet those goals. Dr. Woods urged his audience to mentor others and to reach out to connect with those unlike ourselves, listening to understand, not just to respond. Dr. Mary Ann Norman, former coordinator of Ferrum’s Teacher Education program, once kindly pointed out to him that as the only Black male student at a career fair, he had a responsibility to represent more than just himself. Dr. Woods explained that he took that advice to heart, using it to motivate him in future successes.
After Dr. Woods spoke, he sat with his daughter in his lap as Dr. Martin pointed out that at Ferrum College, he would no longer be the only African American man at a career fair; in fact, she said, now Ferrum is comprised of 40% minority students, almost all of whom are Black.
During her closing remarks, after thanking those who participated in the event and those who attended, Dr. Martin quoted from Dr. King’s 1957 sermon “Loving Your Enemies”: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Dr. Martin admonished the large crowd to be the light and the love for which Dr. King called.
Written by Ferrum College Professor of English, Katherine Grimes.
