From silence to action: GovState honors Martin Luther King Jr.
A call for spiritual discipline and human connection
By Lisa Redmond, Staff Writer
Photos by Isabella Hollingsworth-Sons
An abundance of information creates a scarcity of attention, warned Dr. Uday Shinde, a Governors State University (GovState) professor, in his keynote address at the University's annual MLK Breakfast, a gathering of administrators, students, and community leaders dedicated to honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year's event centered on a timely theme: “Honoring Our History - Fighting for Our Future.”
“If I don’t have the attention to give you, how can I possibly listen? If I can’t listen, how can I understand? And if I can’t understand, how can I possibly connect?” said Dr. Shinde, who studies how spirituality and mindfulness impacts the workplace.
The morning began with a breakfast reception followed by a powerful dramatic performance titled “We Were Just Children.” Co-written for the stage by Lauren Wells-Mann, GovState’s Director of Arts in Education and Community Engagement, the play was brought to life by local junior high and high school students.
The performance told the harrowing story of the four young girls killed September 15, 1963 in Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The actors skillfully balanced the joyful innocence of youth—playing traditional circle games like “Little Sally Walker” and “Miss Mary Mack”—with a haunting portrayal of the explosion that ended their lives, leaving the audience in somber reflection.
Adding to the emotional depth of the morning, GovState’s Trans4mation Gospel Choir delivered a stirring performance. Their voices reverberated through the venue, leaving a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of everyone in attendance.
The event’s keynote address, “Honoring Our History – Fighting for Our Future,” was delivered by Dr. Shinde, a Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at GovState. Dr. Shinde took the stage visibly moved by the morning’s performances.
Admitting he was "at a loss for words" after such soul-stirring art, Dr. Shinde pivoted to speak directly from the heart.
“I read the news this morning and thought, 'The world has gone mad,'” Dr. Shinde remarked. “There is so much polarization—division between genders, generations, and ideologies. The gap is everywhere we look.”
Dr. Shinde drew a sharp line between the nonviolent resistance of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. King and the "insidious threat" of the modern age: the loss of human connection through technology. He cited research showing that human attention spans have plummeted to roughly eight seconds—less than that of a goldfish.
He argued that King and Gandhi were not merely political tacticians, but "spiritual giants" who used prayer and contemplation to fuel their movements.
Closing with a nod to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” Dr. Shinde challenged the audience to look inward before attempting to change the world.
The event concluded with a practical call to action: attendees were encouraged to dedicate 15 to 30 minutes each day to silence and contemplation. The "fight for the future," begins with the quiet discipline of the mind.
The breakfast also highlighted student winners of the MLK Writing Contest, who were asked to reflect on the theme, "Honoring the Legacy and Thinking of Our Future."
MLK Writing Competition 2026
Winners
1st Place Poem: Layover Between Yesterday and Tomorrow
By Gail Rutherford, Undergraduate Social Work
2nd Place Open Letter: Working to Make the Table More Equitable for
By Timotheus Gordon, Doctorate Candidate INLD – Nonprofit
3rd Place Essay: Community-Based Perspective
By Glenford Flowers, Undergraduate Political Science