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The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Dinner, held in the D’Angelo Center Ballroom, honored students Shanelle L. Chambliss and Adam Choudry; Samuel Baah, Director, Campus Activities and New Student Orientation; Natalie P. Byfield, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Andre McKenzie, Ed.D., retired former Vice Provost; and James J. Shannon ’87CBA, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.
The evening featured performances by the St. John’s Sinai Radiant Liturgical Praise Dance Ministry, the University chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and singer and musician Remy Martin ’16P, ’18GEd, a doctoral candidate in The School of Education.
Deputy Director of Litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.,Deuel Ross, delivered the keynote address in a question-and-answer format alongside his law school classmate, Rachel Pereira, J.D., Ed.D., Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at St. John’s. Dr. Pereira noted that 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” in which Dr. King led civil rights marchers across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, AL, where they were met with violence. “The marchers’ bravery and sacrifice shaped the conscience of the nation,” Dr. Pereira said.
Mr. Ross, who recently argued a voting access case before the US Supreme Court, stressed the need for continued determination to support Dr. King’s legacy.
“The most important part of Dr King's legacy for me is believing in a world we don’t always see,” Mr. Ross said. “That is, believing in a world in which people are treated equally, where laws and justice are applied fairly, and in which everyone--Black people, white people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities are treated equally and with respect.”
“Continuing to have faith that the world can and will get better is so deeply ingrained in the work Dr King did, and in the work civil rights lawyers and activists continue to do today,” Mr. Ross added.
As one of the NAACP’s lead attorneys, Mr. Ross ensures equal access to educational opportunities and the political process for people of color. He has argued and won school desegregation cases against the states of Connecticut and Louisiana and worked to stop a voter identification law in Texas. “You may be surprised school desegregation cases are going on today, but they are,” Mr. Ross said.
The Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., University President, noted that Dr. King’s vision was rooted in his faith and work as a Baptist minister. Fr. Shanley shared that St. John’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is consistent with the University’s Vincentian heritage.
“I want the work we do on behalf of DEI to be done in the spirit of our Catholic and Vincentian mission,” Fr. Shanley. “Our task is to stay true to the work in the spirit of the mission of St. John’s.”
The six honorees were recognized for their contributions to the St. John’s community, and for advancing Dr. King’s agenda. Mr. Shannon is founding partner and Chief Executive Officer of the investment management firm Indus Capital Partners and has served on the St. John’s Board of Trustees since 2016. Dr. McKenzie, known across the campus as “Doc” enjoyed a four-decade administrative and teaching career, retiring in 2024.
Introduced by master of ceremonies Sharod Tomlinson, 22Ed.D., Assistant Vice President for Equity and Inclusion/Student Belonging, as one of the “most welcoming administrators on campus,” Mr. Baah manages the new student orientation process each summer, helping students and their families adjust to the start of life at St. John’s.
Dr. Byfield’s classes focus on the use of language in society and how the powerful and those with less influence use language to shape the world. Her classes are among the most popular in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and directly reflect Dr. King’s vision of empowerment.
“We celebrate the work of these people and the wonderful things happening across our campus,” Dr. Tomlinson said.
Some of the loudest applause went to students Adam and Shanelle. Adam, a junior Physics major from Fresh Meadows, NY, overcame learning difficulties early in life to become a member of the Society of Physics Students and the National Society of Leadership and Success. He is also a gifted figure skater who teaches others to excel on the ice.
“Dr. King’s quote, ‘Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly’ is so relevant,” Adam said. “When I tell others directly about my struggle to learn, I hope indirectly it motivates others to learn.”
Shanelle, a senior studying Criminal Justice at The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, is a student assistant in the office of Campus Ministry and a retreat leader, who volunteers in a food pantry near her West Orange, NJ, home. Shanelle sees a direct connection between the work of Dr. King and the Vincentian commitment to service.
“We all contribute to the Vincentian mission, whether it is being part of a service club, leading retreats, or just building a space for students to feel safe,” Shanelle said. “I am grateful for the people who care about Martin Luther King’s dream and the equality of every race, class, and religion.”
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