Dr. Darryl Heller receives Drum Major Award at MLK Day breakfast

Honor salutes a wide range of Heller’s contributions

On January 19, an event titled “From the Mountain Top to the Movement: Carrying the Vision Forward” took place at the Century Center in South Bend. During the opening session, the 40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Recognition Breakfast, Dr. Darryl Heller was presented with a Drum Major Award.

Drum Major Awards serve as recognition for an individual’s contributions and leadership in matters such as business, civic affairs, community service, social justice, and scholastic achievement. Organizer Gladys Muhammad says the Drum Major is to recognize community members who are dedicated to “justice, fairness, and improving the lives of all people.”

At IU South Bend, Heller, an assistant professor in women’s and gender studies, has taught classes in a wide range of fields. He is a prolific writer and also serves as director of the IU South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center.

The award takes its name from a 1952 homily, “Drum-Major Instincts,” by white Methodist preacher J. Wallace Hamilton. He warned against the selfish desire to lead the parade, even in the name of goodness. Dr. King elaborated on the idea, stressing that leaders must maintain humility and selflessness, and to be a drum major only in the causes of justice, peace, and righteousness.

“My biggest role model in the civil rights movement is Ella Baker,” Heller says.

Baker was involved with the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and was the founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Heller has tried to emulate her methods.

“Almost nobody knows her name, because she always led from the back,” Heller says. “But had she not done the work that she did, the movement would have been radically different. She was an instrumental leader, but she never sought accolades. Being a drum major for justice is not something that should be ego-driven.”