Salem State Honoring MLK With Week Of Events

From Salem State University:

January 17 2020

SALEM, MA – Salem State University will host its 30th annual MLK Week January 20-27, a weeklong celebration honoring the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Founded in 1990, this community-centered series of events honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s commitment to civil rights and social justice and challenges us to consider ways in which we can be socially engaged. All events are free and open to the general public and media.

This year’s celebration explores the theme, Lift Every Voice, Now More Than Ever. “Our theme is based on the poem Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, that later became the Black National Anthem,” remarks Rebecca Latin, interim chief diversity and inclusion officer. “This anthem serves as a reminder to all that each generation has had to “lift” their own voices to demand and protect their rights. It’s a song we can still sing- and stand for- with pride while reflecting on the past, and actively working towards a more just and inclusive future.”

The week begins with a candlelight vigil, Freedom March, and awards reception on January 21 and culminates with MLK Convocation on January 27. Convocation will feature a timely keynote address by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, a New York Times bestselling author of the ground-breaking books How to Be An Antiracist and Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, and the founding director of The Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. The keynote will be followed by an author Q&A and book signing. A limited number of Kendi’s How to Be An Antiracist will be available for purchase at the event. For more information on this speaker please visit www.prhspeakers.com.

The full schedule of events is below:

Monday, January 20, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Tuesday, January 21, 4:30 – 7 pm

MLK Vigil, Freedom March, Awards Reception |Veterans Hall, Ellison Campus Center and will conclude at Viking Hall, room 123

Thursday, January 23, 12 -1:30 pm

“How to Be an Antiracist” Book Dialogue with Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna| MLK, Jr. Room, Ellison Campus Center

Thursday, January 23, 3 – 4:30 pm

“Through the Wire: Hip Hop’s Birthplace & MLK’s Legacy” Writing Workshop with the LEAD Office | LEAD Center for Diversity & Cultural Enrichment, Ellison Campus Center

Monday, January 27, 11:30 am – 1:15 pm*

Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation Keynote, Q&A, and Book Signing with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts *Still photos are allowed by media only at this event.

The 30th annual MLK Week is organized by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Black History Month Collaborative, which includes members of the Black Employee Resource Group, Center for Creative and Performing Arts, Department of Sociology, Enrollment Management, First Year Experience, Inclusive Excellence Office, Institutional Advancement, LEAD (Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Diversity) Office, Multicultural Student Association, Salem’s No Place for Hate Committee, School of Social Work, and Urban Arts Theatre.

This press release was produced by the Salem State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.