Lee to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day with week of events
Beginning Monday, Jan. 20, Lee University will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with events across campus. Hosted by the Cultural Diversity Committee, these events are meant to intentionally make space for the commemoration of Dr. King’s legacy.
“These events are instrumental, not only because they are educational, but because they also relieve the daily tensions that students of color have to bear,” said Cultural Diversity Committee Member Alan Wheeler. “It is not their role to teach us how to be sensitive; we should be educating ourselves.”
Associate Professor of Humanities Dr. Mary McCampbell and Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Ruth Wienck are kicking off the week with a lecture. On Monday, they will present “Resistance, Lament and Praise: The History and Practice of African American Protest Music” in the Johnson Lecture Hall at 7 p.m. The event will feature live music from EVS as well as a discussion after the lecture presentation.
Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 10:40 a.m. in the Conn Center, Lee alumnus Mo Huggins will speak during a special chapel service. Huggins is the next step pastor at Stevens Creek Church in Augusta, Georgia.
On Tuesday evening, there will be a screening of “King in the Wilderness” at 7 p.m. in the Rose Lecture Hall. “King in the Wilderness” is an award-winning documentary about Martin Luther King Jr. in the last years of his life. The discussion after this film will be led by Donivan Brown, a critic and writer from the Chattanooga area, and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. Richard Moy.
On Wednesday, Jan. 22, Black Student Union (BSU) will hold its first meeting of the semester at 7 p.m. in Humanities 207. All students are welcome to attend.
“We’re excited to see what the semester has in store,” said Kiara Quick, BSU President and senior psychology major. “BSU is a family and we’re here to support each other. It’s a really inviting space … When you come into the room, you know that you matter and your voice is heard.”
Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Arlie Tagayuna and College Hill community members will host a panel discussion on Thursday, Jan. 23 in the Johnson Lecture Hall at 7 p.m. tititled, “Bridging our Parallel Lives: Lee University and College Hill Community.” The panel will take a look at the role both Lee and the surrounding community have played in Cleveland’s development over time.
Closing out the week’s events on Friday evening is a session hosted by Student Leadership Council. “Help Me Be Sensitive” is an opportunity to hear personal stories and gain new perspectives on social issues from different communities in Cleveland. This event will take place in the Johnson Lecture Hall at 7 p.m.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information about these events, contact Dr. Mary McCampbell at mmccampbell@leeuniversity.edu.
