Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees Statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 19, 2026
"We honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the civil rights movement who shared his dream of a just and equitable world for future generations to inherit.
"An integral part of Dr. King's movement for equal treatment was his advocacy for equal opportunity. He championed the desegregation of schools, ensuring that students regardless of race or background had access to the high-quality education they deserved. As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King, we also reinvigorate our commitment to continuing his vital mission.
"Dr. King said, ‘We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.' As a public higher education institution, we hold dear not only our commitment to academic excellence, but also a commitment to helping our students become well-rounded individuals who are able to reach their full potential. We strive to combat discrimination of all kinds, and ensure that every student feels safe, welcomed, and appreciated at the SUNY campus of their choice. We have been proud to see SUNY students from throughout New York State, as members of the Empire State Service Corps and simply as civically engaged individuals, step up during the recent food insecurity crisis. That commitment to service and to supporting their fellow New Yorkers is a core part of the well-rounded education that we seek to instill at every SUNY institution.
"The students we proudly serve are tasked with participating in multi-faceted discussions, crafting unique viewpoints, and being active members of their communities. Through this we uphold Dr. King's legacy and create the next generation of leaders and visionaries who leverage education as a catalyst for social change, empowerment, and freedom."
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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