Martha and Martin
The story of Berry begins with a woman burdened by the desperate lives of mountain folk living in nearby homesteads. Martha Berry yearned to make things better with a vision of what could be and should be — an education of the head, heart and hands that would disrupt the cycle of generational poverty. The residential schools she founded became a Gate of Opportunity for thousands of students.
A dozen years after Martha’s death, Martin Luther King Jr. stepped forward to lead the civil rights movement. Compelled to confront structures of injustice that blocked opportunities for Black Americans, King nurtured a dream of a nation filled with communities built on a foundation of dignity, love and justice for all.
At Berry, we aspire to bridge Martha Berry’s vision with Dr. King’s dream by creating a “good neighbor” culture on campus and in the surrounding communities. Berry celebrates the increasing diversity of our campus community. We believe that a rich variety of voices and ideas makes Berry a dynamic place to live and learn.
Navigating differences in a 24-7 residential community may be uncomfortable at times, but cultural competencies of this sort serve as valuable building blocks for personal and professional success. When our differences lead to disagreement and conflict, our aim is to approach and learn from our conflicting perspectives by reaching out to our neighbors with patience, humility and generosity of spirit.