The 20th Anniversary Martin Luther King, Jr Freedom Breakfast was held today in the Tate Student Center.
T. Dallas Smith, a leader in Atlanta real estate and a chair of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, delivered the keynote address.
In his speech, Smith addressed this year’s theme, “Building a Legacy for Generations,” by describing how the development of individual connections contributes to the fight for racial equality.
“I think oftentimes we think of this task as a big heavy task, like we’re trying to boil the ocean. And I try to explain to people, we don’t have to boil the ocean, we can boil one pot at a time, i.e. on relationship at a time. I feel like that’s how real change happens. That’s how real change happened in my life,” he said.
As a member of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, Smith also highlighted the importance of representation in decision-making spaces.
“When I see the students I really just see myself in them. And I’m able to put a context to what someone didn’t see, and so my fellow regents are like, 'I never thought about it like that,'” Smith added.
The Martin Luther King, Jr Freedom Breakfast is sponsored in partnership by the University of Georgia, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, and the Clarke County School District.
