"Martin Luther King Jr.: A Trumpet of Conscience" is the theme of the 25th annual Forum on Black Affairs Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Banquet, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, in the President's Hall at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus.
The theme was chosen to reflect the title of King's book The Trumpet of Conscience, a collection of radio transcripts describing King's opposition to the Vietnam War posthumously published in 1968.
The evening's activities include a theatrical presentation 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.
Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and organizers recommend purchasing tickets early. Tickets are $22 for adults, $12 for children age 12 and under, and $250 for a reserved table for 10. A portion of the cost of each table will go toward the Forum on Black Affairs Scholarship Fund. E-mail or call Michael Phillips for tickets and table reservations at map5@psu.edu or (814) 863-1411. Individual tickets are also on sale at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center in the HUB.
The Forum on Black Affairs also is seeking nominations for its 2000 Humanitarian Service Award, to be given at the Jan. 15 banquet. The award was created in 1985 to honor a person who has provided outstanding service to the African American citizens of Pennsylvania, especially at Penn State and in the Centre County region. Such service includes leadership in office, programs or organizations that develop or implement policies impacting African Americans.
To nominate a candidate, submit a letter not more than two pages in length that describes the nominee's credentials and qualifications for the award. Attach any relevant supporting materials, such as newspaper and magazine articles, by Dec. 17 to W. Terrell Jones, vice provost for educational equity, 314 Old Main, University Park, Pa. 16802; telephone (814) 865-5906.