Atlanta — A Piedmont native strives to add to the 150-plus year legacy at Morehouse College.

The all-male, historically black college helped build the foundation for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s perspective on non-violence and equality. Lewis Miles, who is from Thomasville, is an MLK Legacy Scholar at the Atlanta-area school.

“[We] explore much of the lesser known and more known speeches, writings, sermons, even letters of correspondence,” Miles said. “It’s a really outstanding opportunity to engage in higher lever scholarship and think about the relevancy of Dr. King today.”

Miles is a senior sociology major. He graduated from Westchester Country Day School in 2014.

“I remember one thing that was very strongly emphasized at my high school was service — service to the community, and strong, moral character.”

He is very active in the Morehouse community. He is a resident advisor, serves as a Morehouse presidential ambassador and mentor to first-year students. Additionally, he is a member of The Phi Beta Kappa Society. The organization selects members based on their academic achievements.

Dr. King enrolled at Morehouse College in 1944. He was 15 years old.

“This man was human, this man was a father, this man was a husband; there’s a lot of elements around his social experience and lived experience that a lot of people forget,” he said.

After college, Miles plans to teach.

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