By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11
Dexter Horne.
Among countless others, a well-known Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. quote is, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” Dr. King was known to speak extensively on the importance of forgiveness, and how crucial it was to making lasting change in the world. For Dexter Horne, Centre '13, this will be a pivotal theme in his keynote speech at Centre College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. This event will take place on Monday, January 16th (MLK Day), and honor the civil right leader during an annual community-wide gathering. The theme is It Starts With Me: Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.
Horne is no stranger to fighting for change at Centre College or within his community. Having striven for a more inclusive experience for all students at Centre, Horne would frequently voice the need for changes to the administration and worked with other campus leaders to ensure they were improved. As more changes were needed and not met, Horne was left with feelings of resentment. Yet, when Centre College’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity reached out with the opportunity to act as the keynote speaker for the convocation, he began to ponder the idea of forgiveness. Having just finished reading a book about the civil rights movement, Horne felt it was timely to give this speech with all this so fresh in his mind. The general thesis of the book was that a beloved community mindset, like that of Dr. King, was one that included as many people from different backgrounds as possible. One that allows for embracing difference, allowing enemies to share in your vision for a better future, and embracing people who didn’t relate to him working alongside him to create a better vision. In an excerpt from his speech, Horne states, "...a beloved community mindset is one that casts the greatest net and allows all people to contribute to our project for a more perfect union. Importantly, a beloved community mindset is also one that is big enough to move beyond ego and the politics of shame...at the end of the day, like Dr. King, none of us in this room needs to be individually great or exceptional to make our world more just. If the communities we cultivate are great enough to hold difference, to hold people accountable for their actions, and hold opportunities for growth and redemption; we can accomplish anything."
Horne in Chicago.
Long before he was giving speeches, Horne was an ambitious young leader, a dedicated brother of Phi Kappa Tau, and a Bonner Scholar. Joining Phi Tau in the spring of his freshman year, he quickly filled the role of Community Service and Philanthropy Chair—serving through his sophomore year. Following that position, he went on to serve as Recruitment Chair and President of the Delta Chapter. Alongside his Phi Tau involvement, Horne was a member of student government, debate series, the English as a second language program, and worked for the admissions office. During his time as an undergrad, Horne was recognized for his achievements on multiple occasions; he is a recipient of the Paul A. Elfers Omega Scholarship, the William H. Shideler Award, the Best Loved and Most Respected Senior Man Award, and was voted Homecoming King during his senior year at Centre.
Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Horne gained his Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky. Beginning his career with the Ronnie Bastin for Mayor Campaign, Horne then moved on to hold a Project Manager position at the McNary Group, a Development Associate position at Louisville Public Media, and is now a Senior Policy Analyst for The Council of State Governments. As a Senior Policy Analyst, Horne’s primary function is to provide support to CSG’s Healthy States National Task force, which includes state leaders from across the three branches of government in all 50 states and 6 territories. Throughout his career, Horne has remained a loyal brother, serving as a volunteer and BOG member.