Martin Luther King III, the son of the slain civil rights leader, will speak about the life and teachings of his father as part of the College's plans to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
King will speak on “My Father's Dream, My Mission” on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Chapel and meet with audience members at a reception at the Nott Memorial following his talk.
“It is most meaningful this time of year to have someone as distinguished as Martin Luther King III on campus,'' said Gretchel Tyson, director of affirmative action for the college. “The entire campus will not only benefit from what he has to say that night, but will use his teachings in their daily lives.''
The second oldest child of the civil rights leader and Coretta Scott King, King has spoken around the world about the need for equality and justice for all people. He is the former host of “The Wisdom of Dreams,'' on the Wisdom Network, which profiled people who achieved extraordinary feats by following their dreams.
From 1998 to 2003, King served as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization his father helped create in 1957. He has also served on the board of the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, which his mother founded shortly after her husband was killed in 1968.
The campus will celebrate the life and dream of Dr. King in several other ways, as well. On Monday, Jan. 16, through Wednesday, Jan. 18, students will be on hand at the Reamer Campus Center from noon to 1 p.m. to offer MLK Jr. peace buttons. The $2 donation will benefit the tutoring program at the Kenney Community Center.
Also on Monday, Orange House is holding an open mic at 6 p.m., titled “In Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr… An Evening of Reflection, Music and Poetry.” Performances and readings by the Gospel Choir, Shakti, Dutch Pipers and others will be accompanied by a video of a Martin Luther King Jr. speech. All members of the college community are welcome to attend and participate.
'True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.' — Martin Luther King Jr.