Forum On Black Affairs Planning Annual King Banquet;
Seeking Nominations For Humanitarian Service Award
November 8, 2000
University Park, Pa. — Focusing on a theme that all people on Earth are co-inhabitants of a "World House," the Forum on Black Affairs will sponsor its 26^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Banquet on Monday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. in President’s Hall at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.

The theme comes from the title of the last chapter of Dr. King’s final book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, published in 1967. An excerpt reads, "This is the great new problem of [hu]mankind. We have inherited a large house, a great ‘world house’ in which we have to live together…a family unduly separated by ideas, culture, and interest, who, because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace."

Featured at the banquet will be a theatrical offering related to civil rights and King’s contributions to this movement, as well as the presentation of the Sterling Brown Memorial Scholarship, named for the professor, scholar, and poet who had an impact on the lives of many of today’s scholars and poets.

Another highlight is the presentation of the 2001 Humanitarian Service Award. This annual award was created in 1985 to honor a person who has provided outstanding service to African-American citizens of Pennsylvania, especially at Penn State and in the Centre County region. Such service includes leadership of offices, programs, or organizations that develop or implement policies impacting African-Americans.

Nominations for this award are currently being sought. To nominate a candidate, submit a letter of not more than two pages in length that describes the nominee’s credentials and qualifications for the award, and attach any relevant supporting material such as newspaper or magazine articles. Nominations must be sent no later than Friday, December 15, 2000, to: Dr. W. Terrell Jones, Vice Provost for Educational Equity, 314 Old Main, University Park, Pa. 16802; telephone (814) 865-5906.

Organizers expect the event to quickly sell out, and they recommended that tickets be purchased early. Tickets are $22 for adults, $12 for children age 12 and under, and $250 for a reserved table of 10. All tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. A portion of the cost for each table will go toward the Forum on Black Affairs Scholarship Fund.

Tickets are available at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center in the HUB, or by contacting: Sam Williams, Office of Multicultural Affair, 116 Arts Building, University Park, Pa. 16802; telephone (814) 865-9523 or e-mail .

Contact: Tysen Kendig, Department of Public Information, (814) 865-7517 or .