Trinity-Pawling commemorated Martin Luther King, Jr. with an all school presentation, given by Slade Mead, Director of College Counseling.
Mr. Mead, also a member of the history department, is in the process of filming a documentary in contract with PBS on the life of Roosevelt Thompson, a friend of Mr. Mead's from Yale. The film Looking for Rosey is currently in post production.
Roosevelt Thompson was a remarkable young man from Little Rock, Arkansas whose personal qualities serve as an example of what we might all strive for in our own lives. To quote Mr. Mead, "In the cynical post-Civil Rights, post-Watergate, post-Vietnam Era, Rosey saw nothing but promise and opportunity. Rosey didn't have time to point fingers or cast blame for what was broken about our society -- Rosey simply saw that there was work to be done, and Rosey lived everyday striving to make our world a better one. Though his childhood was forged in the crucible of the racist Deep South, he never allowed himself to get hung up on the issue of race. He chose instead to believe in the basic goodness of all people, and in doing so, he brought out the best in those around him."
Mr. Mead highlighted his presentation with the concept of "The Representative Man" which he defines as "one who makes courageous, moral decisions that run counter to the social expectations of his or her time."
Mr. Mead asserted that everyone in the room has the chance to make a difference in this world...like a Dr. King and a Rosey. He concluded, "My challenge to all of you is to go out and make that difference."
The compelling and emotionally charged presentation was most certainly in the spirit of celebration of the life and work of Dr. King, as it would have been difficult to achieve all that Rosey did in his (too) short life without the Civil Rights Movement, of which Dr. King was the leading figure.
