By Kole Meschke
As a part of Grand Rapids Community College’s annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Week, students, faculty, and community members gathered on Thursday, Jan. 15, to learn and engage with King’s lasting message about fulfilling roles of leadership and fostering change. The week’s theme, “Mission Impossible 2: Building Community, Uniting a Nation,” highlighted reflection, initiated dialogue, and inspired a collective responsibility in the GRCC community.
Nationally recognized educator and speaker Dar Mayweather led Thursday’s session, emphasizing that leadership combines vision, planning, and mutual care.
“Leadership produces change and movement. Management produces order and consistency. The mistake we make is thinking we have to choose,” Mayweather said, reminding the audience that you are not set in one mindset.
Mayweather connected his lessons to King’s life, underscoring the historical context of King’s leadership and the hardships he faced.
“He was on the federal government’s number one list for terrorists — the same list as Bin Laden. And he was American,” said Mayweather. “Why MLK was so impactful is because he already knew that he saw the vision, but he knew he wasn’t going to get there; he had a plan enough that the work could continue beyond him. That’s what master leadership looks like.”
Audience participation was a central aspect of the event. Attendees were guided through creating “impact statements,” a purpose-built framework to help clarify your “who, what, why.” “I help [who] do [what] so that they can [outcome].”
Mayweather explained that knowing one’s impact not only motivates action but sets boundaries for what not to do. Students and professionals alike brainstormed and shared their statements with one another, and out loud.
In addition to independent exercises, Mayweather emphasized mentorship, community, and resilience. Drawing on his own journey as a first-generation college student, he encourages students and staff to identify with mentors who see potential, even when they cannot see it in themselves.
“The people who want to impact you are right in front of you, but they’re not coming to you. You have to go to them.”
Mayweather also stressed the importance of building trust. By sharing challenges and experiences authentically, leaders connect with others and create shared understanding.
“If we don’t tell people why, we don’t help them see that we’re human,” Mayweather said. “That creates a little more humanity in all of our conversations and relationships.”
Audience members were invited to reflect on their own experiences in leadership roles, and to consider where they fell along the inspiration — organization spectrum.
Nekia Evans, a peer mentor through the Woodrick Center at GRCC, shared her experience saying, “In my personal life, if I get organized, get my life in order, and consistently show up for myself every day, then when I come into my job—or whatever I’m doing—I’m able to inspire others to show up for themselves, because it’s real for me. It’s authentic,” Evans continued, “When you show up for yourself and make it real in your own life, you create a blueprint that allows you to help others implement the same in their lives.”
Mayweather’s advice transitioned to maintaining focus and courage as students navigate college life. He reminded attendees that opportunities are fleeting, and courage arises from clarity of purpose.
“The opportunity of a lifetime only lasts within the lifetime of the opportunity,” he said, encouraging everyone to act on the opportunities ahead of them.
In closing the lecture, Mayweather invited attendees to apply the lessons learned beyond the classroom, including engaging with mentors, articulating their impact, and building community. GRCC’s Woodrick Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs supports students in these endeavors, providing guidance, programming, and collaboration across campus.
“Somebody’s life is supposed to be changed because you are in it,” Mayweather said. “But if you don’t do the work, their life will never change.”
The session was a reminder to attendees that honoring King’s legacy requires real action, clarity, and compassionate leadership in everyday life.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Week at GRCC concludes on Monday, January 19, with a Community Leader Panel Discussion at Wealthy Theatre beginning at 6 p.m., marking the final event of the week.
