Lee prepares for a week of events dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr.
Monument to memorialize Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C.
Photo by Brian Kraus on Unsplash
On Monday, Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed and celebrated across America, honoring what would have been the civil rights figure’s 90th birthday.
Beginning Jan. 22, Lee University will commence its own celebration of King’s legacy.
On Tuesday, Jan 22., Campus Pastor Rob Fultz will join Covenant Church Reverend Harold Bare in delivering a “question and answer” service in Conn Center chapel regarding racial justice issues.
“There are several events happening throughout campus,” Fultz said. “Different clubs and different events will be taking place throughout the week to celebrate MLK week.”
Senior Pastor of New City Fellowship Kevin Smith will speak during Thursday’s chapel about the biblical imperatives of racial reconciliation.
On Mar. 18, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Andrew Bledsoe will lead a lecture and discussion on the history and significance of the Confederate flag and Confederate monuments.
“As we honor MLK’s legacy, it’s important to understand that how we choose to remember the past can be just as important as what we choose to remember,” Bledsoe said. “We still live in a deeply divided nation. Symbols like the Confederate flag and monuments can have different meanings to different people, and it’s important for all of us to know what the story of those symbols are.”
Other upcoming events include a panel discussion, lead by Donivan Brown from The Mission Chattanooga, focusing on the traumatic events of American history.
Brown will be joined by other panel participants including Dr. Heather Dryden, Nesha Evans, Dr. Kirstee Williams, Rachel Tolliver, and Dr. Ludine Pierre on Jan. 22.
Beyond this week’s events, King’s legacy will continue to be honored during Black History Month.
On Feb. 26, Dr. Elissa Weichbrodt, an assistant professor of art at Covenant College, will lead a lecture titled, “Looking Justly: Race, Gender, and Photography.”
Sophomore information systems major Doneal Bercier looks forward to these events, with the hope that King’s dream will one day be realized.
“[King] perpetuated the notion that all men should be judged by their character and person rather than their physicality,” Bercier said. “Whenever we come together to address each other on sensitive topics with an open mind, willing to hear the thoughts of others, we are becoming closer to a more realized version of [King’s] dream.”
To keep up to date on campus events, visit the event calendar on Lee's website.
