Inside Iowa State
Jan. 12, 1996
Celebration honoring Martin Luther King Jr. spans two weeks
by Anne Dolan
The life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. will be celebrated on campus and in Ames during events spanning two weeks. The national holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader is observed on Monday, Jan. 15. University offices will be closed that day.
If King were alive, he would be 67 years old this month. King visited campus once, speaking at the convocation ceremony of Iowa State's Religion In Life Week on Jan. 22, 1960. He received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964 and was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39.
The local observance begins Monday, Jan. 15, with a party for families at the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. The party begins at 7 p.m. and features "Up with Puppets," music, games and cookies.
Iowa State's carilloneur, Tin-shi Tam, will give a carillon concert, "Let Freedom Ring," in honor of King at 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16.
The primary campus event honoring King will be held over the lunch hour Friday, Jan. 19. A rally begins in front of Beardshear Hall at 11:45 a.m. and will be followed by a freedom march to the Memorial Union South Ballroom. A birthday party celebrating King's life begins in the ballroom at 12:15 p.m. and will include comments from several campus members, music and birthday cake.
Two forums regarding race issues will be held in the following weeks. At noon Wednesday, Jan. 24, a panel will tackle the topic, "A Conversation on Race: Is This a Nation Divided?" Panel members are Mary Sawyer, associate professor of religious studies, and seniors Theaster Gates and Laurisha McClarin. Modupe Labode, assistant professor of history, will moderate the session, which will be held in the Maintenance Shop.
To conclude the King observance, Michael Dawson will give a lecture titled "Race Rules" at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Dawson is the director of the Institute of African American Research at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He has written Reflecting Black: African American Cultural Criticism, Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X and From God to Gangsta' Rap: Notes on Black Culture.
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Revised 1/11/96 URL: http://www.iastate.edu/ general/releases/mlk.html |