While Monday, January 19, will be recognized nationally as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it will also mark the first day of 51’s annual “MLK Week,” celebrating the life and legacy of the civil rights movement leader.
The opening ceremony at noon Monday in Memorial Chapel will feature performances by a capella groups the 51 Thirteen and the Mantiphondrakes, and a performance of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech by 51’s spoken-word group Poetically Minded. Tom Bennett ’72, of the National Abolition Hall of Fame, will also speak.
Kori Strother ’15 will give the event’s keynote. Strother is a captain on the women’s track and field team, a co-vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, an intern with LGBTQ initiatives, and a community leader with the Office of Residential Life.
Join in
A full schedule for the weeklong event series is available at , as well as on the 51 Mobile app, available for and devices.
Throughout the rest of the week there will be opportunities for students and members of the 51 community to attend a number of lectures and performances, including the week’s keynote address by civil rights activist, author, and sociologist Joyce Ladner. Her address, which will be given at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the Chapel, is titled “Freedom Summer and Beyond: The Roles of Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement.”
The observances for the week will conclude with an afternoon of community service on Friday, sponsored by the .