‘In the presence of greatness’: Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1960 speech at UNC

Posted Jan 13, 2022
As a UNC student in 1960, Oscar Brinson didn’t know much about Martin Luther King Jr. King, then 31, was still working his way to becoming the heralded civil rights leader we remember on the national holiday in his honor. But Brinson knew enough to be impressed. So when King came to Chapel Hill, Brinson made sure he was at Hill Hall for King's speech. (UNC.edu)

Related: Campus Connections

Eric Church Uses His Guitar To Deliver Powerful Commencement Speech At UNC
UNC-Chapel Hill held its 2026 graduation ceremony, and the commencement address was delivered by North Carolina native and diehard Tar Heel fan Eric Church. And...
Mon May 25, 2026

Carolina Performing Arts Unveils Multi-Day Performance Festival for ‘Campus and Downtown’
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and, in our modern society, many people are struggling with loneliness and finding connection with others. Alison Friedman, the...
Sun May 24, 2026

Play-by-Play Class in UNC’s Journalism School Wraps Up Debut Semester
Listeners of 97.9 The Hill know Matt Krause as the voice of UNC women’s basketball. The most recent season was Krause’s eighth behind the mic...
Sat May 23, 2026

Newly Minted Carolina Alumni Celebrate at Commencement
Country musician and North Carolina native Eric Church delivered the commencement address with his six-string in hand, complemented by a guitar strap featuring an interlocking...
Thu May 21, 2026