April 30, 2007 marked a historic day in the City of St. Louis as the student governments of Harris-Stowe State University and Saint Louis University announced their partnership to raise $10,000 for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project in Washington, D.C.

In addition to raising funds to honor a man who championed a movement for peace and equality through non-violent social change, this partnership, known as the Dream Keepers Partnership, was made to strengthen the relationship between the two institutions as well as serve as model for racial reconciliation for the entire City.

The campuses of Harris-Stowe State University, a historically black institution, and Saint Louis University, a Jesuit Catholic institution, are separated by only one street (Compton Avenue). However, based on the students level of interaction, it would seem as if they were miles apart. With this newly forged partnership, the student government presidents of Harris-Stowe and SLU have issued a profound message: It is time to cross the street.

The Dream Keepers Partnership is symbolic of the life and work of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is not simply a fundraising effort, but a movement to bring understanding and enhance the relationships between the beautiful races within the City of St. Louis and throughout the nation.