Martin
Luther King Jr. Day Events Martin
Luther King Jr. Day Events
The following Penn State locations have planned activities to celebrate and
commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the month of January:
n Jan. 17: Volunteerism is the theme of this year's observance at the campus, which includes two guest speakers and a Volunteer Fair. State Rep. Lawrence Curry, who participated in the Civil Rights marches in the 1960s, will speak about the legacy of Dr. King, and the Rev. Charles Quann, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Pennllyn, will address the spirit of volunteerism. The talks will be held in the Spectrum Room of the Lares Building.
In addition, there will be a presentation by the Abington Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Kathryn Kearns. Booths representing major volunteer organizations in the Philadelphia area will be in Lares main hallway, beginning at 10 a.m. Ethnic food will be available for lunch for $2, or a donation of canned goods for the homeless.
n Jan 16: From winning a seat on the Baltimore City Council by just three votes to representing MarylandÕs 7th Congressional District and on to the presidency of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Kweisi Mfume (pronounced Kwah-EE-see Oom-Foo-may) has followed his dream of impacting society and shaping a more human public policy. Mfume will discuss his accomplishments and the future of the NAACP when he speaks at Penn State Altoona on Jan. 16 at 3:30 p.m. in the Adler Athletic Complex. The event is free to the public. Tickets are available at the Penn State Altoona Bookstore.
n Jan. 23: At 7:30 p.m., pianist and poet Raymond Jackson will display his talents in the Slep Student Center. Tickets are available at the Penn State Altoona Bookstore. For more information call (814) 949-5121.
A celebration will be held at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 17, in the Study Learning Center auditorium. The event is free.
Actor Gregory Gibson Kenney of Bethel Park will present the monologue "I Had a Dream: A Conversation with a Friend." Kenney wrote and produced the play, which revolves around a dream of a meeting with King. The play features and studies four of King's most famous speeches.
Aliquippa's Church in the Round choir, under the direction of Curtis Lewis Jr., will present musical selections. Penn State Beaver students also will present student poetry readings. A reception will be held in the auditorium lobby immediately following the program.
Classes will be shortened that day and end by 3:30 p.m. to allow students to attend the program. For more information, call (724) 773-3951.
n Jan. 17: Anthony Monteiro, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, will present the topic, "I Might Not Get To Go There With you, The 21st Century Legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Dubois," at 12:30 in the Student Lounge of the Main Building. A musical performance will be conducted by the Penn State Gospel Ensemble at the close of the speaker presentation.
n Students, faculty, and staff will also be involved in volunteer service projects as part of the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service.
For more information, call (610) 892-1274.
n Jan. 17: Thomas Poole, associate vice provost for educational equity at Penn State, will be the guest speaker.
n Jan. 18: Penn State DuBois will present "Echoes of the Past," a one-woman play featuring Maxine Maxwell, at 7 p.m. in the Hiller Building Auditorium. The play explores the turning points in the lives of five African and African American women. This dramatic performance takes a look at what it has been like to be black and female over the past 150 years.
Admission is free. For more information, contact the Student Life Office at (814) 375-4766.
Internationally acclaimed poet, activist and lecturer Sonia Sanchez will present "Poet as Creator of Social Values" at Penn State Erie on Monday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. in the Reed Union Building Commons.
Sanchez is the director of the women's studies program at Temple University and holds the university's Laura Carnell chair in English. She has written 14 books, including Homegirls and Handgrenades, winner of an American Book Award in 1985. In 1999 she received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in recognition of her commitment to students. Her presentation is free.
For more information, call (814) 898-6000.
n Monday, Jan. 17, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Main Lobby: Dane Tilghman, premier painter of African American golf art and Negro League Baseball images. Prints and original pieces will be available for purchase.
n Tuesday, Jan. 18, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Main Lobby: Ferebee Gospel Group, consisting of four sisters who have been singing together for more than 20 years.
n Wednesday, Jan. 19, 4:30- 5:30 p.m. in the Main Lobby: JazzTech Ensemble -- Four-piece jazz ensemble featuring Penn State Great Valley's Eric Stein, associate professor of management science and information systems.
n Thursday, Jan. 20, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Main Lobby: "Positively to the Point" will perform a selection of hip-hop, tap and modern dance.
n Friday, Jan. 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m. room 130/131: John Amos, actor, will address the public. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of the adult Kunte Kinte in "Roots," which earned Amos an Emmy nomination, he also has recently starred in Norman Lear's sitcom "704 Hauser."
All events are free to the public. Reservations are required for the John Amos presentation; call Carol Riley at (610) 648-3205 to reserve your seat.
Penn State Harrisburg presents "Family Song" on Jan. 17. The noon presentation will be in the Student Center of the Capital Union Building.
"Family Song," a drama with music, traces the lives of four female singers in an African American family from the 1920s to present. The drama weaves in benchmarks in black history such as The Harlem Renaissance and Brown vs. the Board of Education. The production features the creative team of Dorothy King, assistant professor of social science, and musical director Grenoldo Frazier.
The memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored with a program at noon, Jan. 17, in the Buck Union Building stage area. The observance is open to the public.
The Rev. Frank Tillman, pastor of the Christian Fellowship Center Church of God in Christ in the Woods Run section of Pittsburgh, will be the keynote speaker. Tillman's talk will focus on the legacy of Dr. King's work. A dessert reception is planned following the program.
In addition, students, faculty and staff are invited to make a difference on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by volunteering their time at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in RIDC Park in Duquesne. For more information, call Kevin Clark at (412) 675-9493.
n Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. in front of Wiestling Hall, a Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Candlelight Ceremony.
n Jan. 25: Film "American History X," General Studies Auditorium (time TBA).
n Jan. 27: Trip to Shippensburg University to see speaker Al Roker at 8 p.m.
n Jan. 17-19: Community Service.
Penn State New Kensington students will live Dr. King's dream by volunteering their time assisting local agencies.
n Jan. 21: A Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, including a buffet luncheon in the art gallery from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. The buffet is $6/person. RSVP by Jan. 18 by calling (724) 334-6062. There also will be a musical performance at 12:30 p.m. in the theatre.
Guest speaker Mary Clemons, executive consultant, 21st Century Staff Development and Consulting, will make remarks on "The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." and an excerpt of his "I Have a Dream" speech will be followed by a musical performance and dramatic skit performed by the Multicultural Club.
Theme: "An Image of Equality, the Reflection of the Dream." The Rev. Angel DeLa Cruz, pastor of Cedar Avenue Church of God in Sharon, Pa., will speak at noon, Monday, Jan. 18, in the Forker Laboratory Forum.
In addition, student winners from the Second Annual Essay Contest for area school children in ninth through 12th grades will read their essays to the audience. Students were asked to answer the question: "With all the violence in today's society, how would you promote Dr. King's message of non-violence?"
For more information, call the Cultural Diversity Office at (724) 983-2846.
n "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 evening's activities include a theatrical presentation, as well as the presentation of the Sterling Brown Memorial Scholarship.
Tickets are $22 for adults, $12 for children age 12 and under, and $250 for a reserved table for 10. E-mail or call Michael Phillips for tickets and table reservations at map5@psu.edu or (814) 863-1411. Individual tickets also are on sale at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center in the HUB.
The Forum on Black Affairs also will award its 2000 Humanitarian Service Award 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.
n Jan. 16: Vincent Harding, activist, theologian and scholar -- will talk at 8 p.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium on "A King for the 21st Century." The Essence of Joy and Essence 2 choirs and NOMMO performing arts company will also perform. Harding has been active in various movements for peace and justice and he and his wife, Rosemary, were personal friends of Martin Luther King Jr. He also served as director of the Martin Luther King Jr.
Harding is currently co-chairperson of the Gandhi-Hamer-King Center for the Study of Religion and Democratic Renewal at The Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He is the author of numerous books and articles for scholarly and Christian publications. His best-known book, There is a River, has been in print for more than a decade and recently appeared in a new paperback edition from Harvest Books (Harcourt Brace). His most recent book, titled Martin Luther King: The Inconvenient Hero, is a series of essays that reflect on the last years of King's life. Memorial Center and chairperson of the nationally televised "Black Heritage" series.
n Jan. 17: A commemorative bell-ringing ceremony is set for 11:30 a.m., Heritage hall, HUB-Robeson Cultural Center.
n Jan. 17: USG Day of Service. Call 862-1411.
n Jan. 17: From 6:30-10 p.m., Recreation Building, USG Day of Service Celebration. Keynote speaker Thurman Evans, founder and CEO of WholeLife Associates Inc. Performanced by various dance and singing groups.
n Jan. 17: Films about Martin Luther King Jr., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in room 019, HUB-Robeson. Continuous showings.
n Jan. 18: From 9:30-11 a.m., Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Cultural Center. A conversation with Vincent Harding, the keynote speaker for the commemoration. Harding and moderator Charles Dumas will offer their reflections on their journey from activism to academe and recent King scholarship.
n Jan. 19: From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., a volunteer fair featuring local agencies is scheduled in Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Cultural Center.