Martin Luther King Jr. is lauded as one of the most influential figures in American history — so much so that his birthday is honored each year with a holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on the third Monday of January. Both Michigan State University and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan hold annual events in celebration of the holiday, inviting community members to gather and commemorate the nonviolent civil rights icon and Baptist minister’s monumental life and legacy. For more information on this year’s events, which begin Thursday (Jan. 16) and run through Jan. 24, read on.
Michigan State University
As always, MSU will offer a weeklong series of events in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, kicking off with its annual Community Unity Dinner, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 16) at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The free event will feature a dinner buffet; musical performances; a keynote address by Sharon Chia Claros, a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging practitioner and scholar who works with educational institutions; and additional speeches by MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, MSU Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Jabbar R. Bennett and graduate and undergraduate students, including Dreux Baker, MLK Planning Committee co-chair and assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion at MSU’s Residence Education and Housing Services. The event is sold out, but interested parties can join the waitlist at go.msu.edu/mlkrsvp.
The celebration continues with a free wellness event Friday evening (Jan. 17) at IM East Fitness Center, featuring family roller skating from 5 to 7 p.m., an informational health and wellness fair from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and late-night skating from 8 p.m. to midnight. Skates will be provided, as will food and giveaways.
Participants must register by tonight (Jan. 15) at msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2f2K8psLvvscuCa for the MLK Student Symposium, which runs from 2:45 to 6:45 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 18) at the MSU Union. Limited to students, the peer-led event will offer keynote speakers and presentations, live entertainment, a campus resource fair and a soul-food dinner. It aims to “empower students to raise their voices and advocate for themselves on critical issues faced while attending a predominantly white institution” encouraging attendees “to take ownership of their narratives and push for a more inclusive campus environment.”
Sunday (Jan. 19) will begin with an ecumenical service at 1:30 p.m. at the Alumni Memorial Chapel. The program will feature a speaker from campus ministry Truth Seekers and a performance by the MSU Gospel Choir, followed by a soul-food reception. Later, at 3 p.m., the College of Music will host its annual “Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest” concert at the Fairchild Theatre. In honor of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Jazz Orchestra I, alongside College of Music jazz vocalists and alumni, will perform music inspired by King’s messages of equality and justice for all. Selections will include songs by renowned jazz artists who were active during the civil rights era, such as Pharaoh Sanders, Gary McFarland, Abbey Lincoln, Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr., as well as more contemporary artists who carry on the legacy of using music as a platform for social change, like Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The event is free, but tickets are required. They can be reserved by calling (517) 353-5340 or at the College of Music’s main office in the Music Building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.
Monday (Jan. 20) will bring the MLK Commemorative March, beginning at 8:45 a.m. at Beaumont Tower and ending at the new Multicultural Center. The College of Music will also hold a free Martin Luther King Jr. Day carillon recital at noon at Beaumont Tower.
The week will end with a smattering of events from Tuesday (Jan. 21) through Jan. 24, including a screening of the documentary “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 21) at the Main Library; a lecture by Shondra L. Marshall, director of the Michigan Public Health Institute’s Center for Racial and Social Justice, at 6 p.m. Jan. 23 at Conrad Hall; and a virtual tour of landmarks in Atlanta related to King’s life and work at 11 a.m. Jan. 24, which can be attended in person at the Clara Bell Smith Center or via Zoom.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan
Bernard LaFayette Jr., a minister, educator, lecturer and prominent civil rights leader of the mid-20th century, will deliver the keynote address at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan’s 40th annual Day of Celebration luncheon, beginning at 11 a.m. Monday (Jan. 20) at the Lansing Center. The theme of this year’s event is one of King’s most famous quotes: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
LaFayette is a co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which held sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. He participated in the 1961 Freedom Rides to challenge segregation in interstate bus travel, facing violence and arrest. He played a crucial role in registering voters and leading nonviolent demonstrations during the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, helping pave the way for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He also served as the national coordinator of King’s 1968 Poor People’s Campaign, which sought to address economic inequality.
“LaFayette embodies the principles of courage, resilience and nonviolence that defined the civil rights movement,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan chair Elaine Hardy said. “His voice and vision are exactly what we need as we commemorate 40 incredible years of this event and recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of building a just and equitable society.”
The luncheon will also feature live music, including a performance by the Detroit Youth Choir. Tickets are sold out, but interested attendees can sign up for email or text alerts at mlkmidmichigan.com/tickets to be notified if any become available.
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