MLK Memorial Event At Essex County College Is Open To Public

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of a Patch Newark community member. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Essex County College invites the public to its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Program. The event has been organized by the college's Africana Institute and the Center For Global Education and Experiences (CGEE) in partnership with the African Consul Generals Group (ACGG) in New York. The program is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 10 a.m. in Smith Hall at Essex County College's main campus in Newark, New Jersey.

The Africana Institute hosts this event annually to pay tribute to the vast African American contributions in the struggles for freedom, equality, and justice in American society. Those efforts brought changes like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This event honors the heroes and heroines of the 1950s and 1960s. This year we aim to celebrate the international impact of the ideals of Dr. King by including African Consul Generals. King's strivings represented a synthesis of the echoes of thousands of African Americans fighting to be treated humanely.

This landmark event will feature remarks by the eight Consul Generals and Dr. Akil Khalfani, the Director of the African Institute and the CGEE. The following is a list of the confirmed participating Ambassadors:

• Amb. Dr. Motumisi Tawana, South Africa, Chair ACGG
• Amb. El Hadji Amadou Ndao, Senegal, Alternate Chair ACGG
• Amb. Brahim Chennouf, Algeria
• Amb. Augusta Mangueira, Angola
• Amb. Nathaniel Wreh Nagbe, I, Liberia
• Amb. Abdelkader Jamoussi, Morocco
• Amb. Lot Egopija, Nigeria
• Deputy C.G., Mr. Mohammad Elhalawani, Egypt

Dr. Khalfani said, "This day will be like a mini-U.N. or African Union day in New Jersey. I cannot recall a day when we had this number of international dignitaries from Africa in Newark or New Jersey in one place at one-time." Furthermore, "New Jersey residents will have the opportunity to meet with the Consul Generals in country-specific break-out rooms at the college to discuss Consulate Services that they would usually need an appointment in New York to do."

Additionally, 11-year-old Ikenna Obikulu will portray Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he gives the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Finally, the Africana Institute and the ACGG will be collectively setting up an Exhibition entitled AFRICAN GLORY. Dr. Khalfani stated "African Glory is part two of the Institute Fall 2022 exhibition called Pan Africana in Nine Boxes. The upcoming exhibition will be a collection of art and artifacts, in part, furnished by the countries of the ACGG and the Diaspora and will be on display at the College for a month or more."

The event is free and open to the public.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.