Speaking to a packed Woolsey Hall, Martin Luther King III called on young people to become leaders in the ongoing fight for racial justice.

Every January people across America and the world mark the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. with “profound gratitude” for his contributions. But until the beloved civil rights leader’s hopes for racial equality, economic prosperity, and nonviolence are realized, the annual observance should be called a “commemoration” rather than a “celebration,” said King’s son, Martin Luther King III, in a Jan. 18 address at Yale.

“I’m not quite able to call [the marking of my father’s birthday] a celebration yet because African Americans and others are still experiencing discrimination and racial injustice across America,” said Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the iconic civil rights leader, who has continued his father’s legacy of civil and human rights activism.

King spoke before more than 2,300 people from across the campus and Greater New Haven communities in an event at Woolsey Hall. It was the first time in three years that the commemoration was held in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His address, “Sanctuary in the Storm: Healing in Action,” was also broadcast via livestream.

“We will one day celebrate when the beloved community of ‘the dream’ becomes a reality for people of all races,...

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