Two-time Laker graduate Dar Mayweather delivered an engaging virtual presentation January 21 that connected aspects of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership to practical ways campus community members can impact their own communities.
The third time proved the charm for Mayweather. He was invited each of the past two years to serve as a keynote speaker during Grand Valley’s MLK Commemoration Week, but those visits were both canceled because of severe weather.
Mayweather, ’07 and ’09, a leadership studies faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, told the audience he was not going to deliver a typical speech about King, but rather reflect on King's vision and how Lakers can build and realize their own visions.
"When you pursue your vision, it's not going to be safe or comfortable," Mayweather said. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in education from GVSU, followed by a doctorate in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University.
He guided participants through several written exercises designed to help them identify where they fall on the spectrum between leadership and management. Leaders, he explained, drive change and foster dialogue, while managers create order and consistency through delegation.
"Dr. King was a master leader. Leadership and management complement each other, but to have one without the other is ineffective," he said.
Mayweather said he empowers his college students to identify their unique talents and articulate those strengths to industry leaders, leading them to jobs or graduate school placements. For the Laker community, he encouraged involvement on campus and within the community.
"Your involvement is necessary," Mayweather said. "You may not know what your career will be, but you are surrounded at Grand Valley by people who care about you. It's not how you start your journey, it's how you finish."
President Philomena V. Mantella offered welcome remarks, noting that reflecting on King’s legacy during this week is central to the holistic educational approach Grand Valley strives to provide.
"Building community is an essential part of this work," Mantella said. "We cultivate spaces where people can feel supported. This gathering, even virtually, reflects that commitment."
The Kaufman Interfaith Institute is scheduled to host an event January 22, "King In Conversation: The Spiritualities of Non-Violence," at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences on the Health Campus. View details and register online.
The January 24 event, MLK Day of Service and Solidarity, has been postponed due to predicted severe weather and below-zero temperatures.
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