In the spirit of MLK, we must rediscover the purpose of education

In 1947, an 18-year-old student published an op-ed in his college newspaper titled, “The Purpose of Education.” “We must remember that intelligence is not enough,” wrote the young Martin Luther King, Jr. “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”

King ended his essay with a warning. “If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts. Be careful, ‘brethren!’ Be careful, teachers!” 

While the young King’s essay has not received the same attention as his other work, it is...