BLACKSBURG, Va., Jan. 14, 2008 – With a full schedule of events from Jan. 14-25, Virginia Tech celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week. All events are free (unless otherwise noted) and open to the public.
The celebration begins Monday, Jan. 14, with the Distant Echoes - Black Farmers in America photo art exhibit in the Perspective Gallery, Squires Student Center. The art exhibit opens daily at 10:00 a.m. Learn more about the exhibit in the related news story.
Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 6:00 p.m., a candlelight vigil will be held on the steps of Burruss Hall. A birthday ceremony and an encore showing of Yolanda King’s performance from MLK Week 2007 will be held from 7-9 p.m. in Colonial Hall, Squires Student Center.
The Multicultural Opportunity Social Awareness Interest Community (MOSAIC) will hold an interest session Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 7-8 p.m. at Deet’s Place in Dietrick Dining Center.
Sunday, Jan. 20, the local NAACP will hold its annual community MLK celebration from 3:30-6 p.m. at Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church located at 580 N. High Street in Christiansburg, Va.
Linda Edmonds Turner will be the guest speaker at the community breakfast, Monday, Jan. 21, from 8-10 a.m. in the Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center. The event is free, but registration is required. Visit MLK Week Celebration online to register.
Maya Angelou, an internationally renowned voice of contemporary literature, will take the stage, on Monday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. in Burruss Hall Auditorium. Tickets for this event are sold out, but a limited number of tickets are available to watch a telecast of Angelou in the Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center. Learn more in the related news story.
A presentation by John Ficara, creator of the Distant Echoes - Black Farmers in America photo art exhibit will take place from 3-4 p.m. in Colonial Hall, Squires Student Center, Tuesday, Jan. 22, with a reception following from 4-6 p.m. in Perspective Gallery, Squires Student Center. Learn more about the presentation in the related news story.
King’s message and the Negro National Anthem – “Lift Every Voice” will be presented, Tuesday, Jan. 22, from 7-8 p.m. in the Black Cultural Center, Squires Student Center.
The Renaissance Festival will be held, Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 7-9 p.m. in Haymarket Theatre, Squires Student Center.
The week will conclude with the 11th Annual Diversity Summit, Jan. 25, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center. Registration is required. Visit MLK Week Celebration online to register.
Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to participate in service projects that are scheduled throughout the two-week long celebration. Service projects involve activities that reflect King’s interests and teaching. The first service project, Giving Back to the Community, will take place, Monday, Jan. 21, please visit MLK Week Celebration online for details. The last scheduled service project is Friday, Jan. 25, in the Commonwealth Ballroom, Squires Student Center.
A brown bag lunch discussion, Understanding Lee/Jackson Day and MLK Day, will be held, Jan. 18, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Multicultural Center, Squires Student Center.
As part of the two-week long celebration, Virginia Tech and the Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County Chapter of the NAACP are sponsoring a poster and essay contest for elementary, middle, and high school students throughout Montgomery County and other communities in Virginia.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week celebration is coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and is supported by several campus and community organizations, including the Office for Equal Opportunity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity, Service Learning Center, VT-ENGAGE, Office of the President, Provost Office, Women’s Center, Division of Student Affairs, Perspective Gallery, University Unions and Student Activities (UUSA), Women and Leadership in Philanthropy (WLP), Teach for America, Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, LLP, National Alliance for Faith and Justice (NAFJ) through the Corporation for National and Community Service, The Montgomery-Radford City-Floyd County Chapter of the NAACP.