Lee to Honor, Celebrate MLK Jr. With Week of Activities

Lee University will celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events, including special seminars, exhibits, music performances, and other gatherings, beginning Monday, Jan. 15, with “A Day…On!”

Instead of “taking the day off,” Lee’s Director of Racial and Ethnic Relations Gloria Scott-Richmond says the university is spending the “day on,” to commemorate King’s work, theology, and philosophy.

“This will be a day of inspiration and education, a day to think and reflect on who we are and who we aspire to be,” says Scott-Richmond. “We aspire to be a school that listens well and is aware of biblical equity and empathy, and we hope the community will join us as we honor Dr. King and the impact his life and work had on our world.”

The events kick off on Monday with the annual Cleveland Unity March, which will take place in downtown Cleveland at 9 a.m. Participants are encouraged to meet at the Courthouse by 8:45 a.m. Refreshments will be provided in the School of Business as the march concludes, followed by a community worship service at 10:15 a.m. in Pangle Hall, located on the corner of Church Street and Central Avenue.

“We look forward to joining with the city of Cleveland, our brothers and sisters, and churches from the north, south, east, and west,” says Scott-Richmond. “Let’s march together, worship together, and celebrate...together!”

On Monday afternoon, Lee will host the Living Museum Exhibit in the Centenary Room, located in the Higginbotham Administration Building, along with a variety of seminars around campus, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The Living Museum will feature students from Lee, and other local schools, depicting historical figures.

From 1:30-4 p.m., there will be an MLK Jr. Civil Rights Quiz Bowl in the Walker Lecture Hall, located in the Science and Math Complex (SMC). Student presentations will also take place during this time in designated SMC classrooms.

Reading Rooms for children PreK-12 and reflection spaces for all ages will be open in Squires Library, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. 

The Drum Circle, open to anyone who wants to come play or watch, takes place from 2-3:15 p.m. in the SMC Great Room, while a viewing of MLK Jr.’s lesser-known speeches will be held in the Communication Arts Screening Room.

Lee’s Evangelistic Singers, directed by Scott-Richmond, and Dr. Ruthie Wienk, assistant professor of sociology, will host Music of Civil Rights at the Museum Center at 5ive Points from 3:30-4:30 p.m. At the same time, Lee will host an interactive art activity in the Communication Arts Building with Mary Mathias-Dickerson, associate professor of art.

On Monday evening at 7:30, Lee faculty James Frost and Mary Beth Wickes will present a recital in Squires Recital Hall, located in the Humanities Building. Lee will also host screenings of two films at 6:30 p.m.: “Hidden Figures” in the Dixon Center and, for the younger viewers, “Our friend, Martin” in the Centenary Room.

The celebration of King and his life’s work will continue throughout the week, including a Tuesday chapel service at 10:45 a.m. with guest speaker Dr. Michael Reynolds, director of ministerial development at the Church of God division of education. On Tuesday night at 6, Lee will host a Ted Talk-style event, Evening Conversation, in the Johnson Lecture Hall, Room 104 of the Humanities Building. 

A chapel service on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. will focus on the musical message of hope, and that evening at 6, senior Cleveland residents will host a panel, “A Life...On: Cleveland Trailblazers,” sharing stories of their life before and after desegregation. This will take place in the SMC Walker Lecture Hall. 

Lee’s MLK Jr. Week events will conclude at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, with Songs & Stories: A Singalong Tribute to Richard Smallwood. This event will also take place in Walker Lecture Hall.

Community members are invited to join the Lee family for each event. “We are excited to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the Cleveland community and the Lee University family,” said Dr. Debbie Murray, Lee provost. “There's something here for everyone, and I hope many will join us on Monday and then throughout the week.”

For more information or a detailed schedule of MLK Jr. Week, visit www.leeuniversity.edu/ethnic-relations or call (423) 614-8238.