January at University Park
"Wisdom from the Past...Vision for the Future" will be the theme of Penn State's 1999 Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in January featuring Ossie Davis as the keynote speaker. He will give an address at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, in Eisenhower Auditorium on the University Park campus.
An actor, director, producer, playwright and civil rights activist, Davis was inducted into the NAACP Image Award Hall of Fame in 1989 and often performs and speaks on the Civil Rights movement with his wife, actress Ruby Dee.
Audiences recognize him from such movies as "I'm Not Rappaport," "Get on the Bus," "Grumpy Old Men" and "The Client," and he has directed numerous films.
Among his plays are "Curtain Call," "Mr. Aldredge, Sir" and "Escape to Freedom." He recently completed work on his first novel, Just Like Martin, which is about young people in the Civil Rights movement. Davis also is known for his work on television.
Among his many contributions to the film and television industry, he is most proud of being chairman of the board of the Institute of New Cinema Artists, a training institute for young actors and directors.
Other events scheduled for the Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations include:
-- Jan. 15: Forum on Black Affairs Dinner, Penn Stater at 6:30 p.m.
-- Jan. 18: Community Bell Ringing, Old Main Lobby at 11:30 a.m.
-- Jan. 19: Open Forum with Ossie Davis for Students and Faculty, Pavilion Theatre at 10 a.m.
Also in the works are community service opportunities for students, faculty and staff in cooperation with Penn State's AT&T Center for Service Leadership and a film series featuring Davis.