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Martin Luther King Jr. Day events guide

January 16, 2020
Jaysha Murphy, left, and Lydia McElrath, both of Lansing, dance while the Dream Orchestra performs during the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon Celebration at the Lansing Center in Lansing on Jan. 21, 2019. Nic Antaya/The State News
Jaysha Murphy, left, and Lydia McElrath, both of Lansing, dance while the Dream Orchestra performs during the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon Celebration at the Lansing Center in Lansing on Jan. 21, 2019. Nic Antaya/The State News —
Photo by Nic Antaya | The State News

For the 40th anniversary of Michigan State’s commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Spartans can participate in a week-long campus celebration from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24. This year’s theme is “Still I Rise,” referencing the famous poem by Maya Angelou.

Saturday, Jan. 18

The Residence Hall Association, or RHA, and the Women’s Advisory Committee for Support Staff, or WACSS, will sponsor a viewing of two MLK Commemorative Celebration Films — “On the Basis of Sex” and “Hidden Figures” — followed by a group discussion.

The showings are at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday through Monday in the Campus Center Cinema in Wells Hall. The event is free and open to students, faculty and staff with an MSU ID. Free popcorn will also be provided.

Sunday, Jan. 19

The College of Music’s Jazz Ensemble and the MSU Professors of Jazz will host and perform thier annual "Jazz: Spirituals, Prayer and Protest Concerts" at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Fairchild Theatre. Tickets for the event are free, but must be obtained in Room 102 of the Music Building.

Monday, Jan. 20

To celebrate MLK Day, the MSU community will be able to engage with audiovisual material about the civil rights movement in the MSU Library on the second floor in the west wing. This material, titled “Turn the light of truth upon them,” will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will continue to play through the remainder of the week between classes.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan’s 35th Annual Holiday Luncheon will take place at 11 a.m. at the Lansing Center. The luncheon, where the theme is “There Comes a Time Where Silence is Betrayal,” will commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Selma, Alabama marches as well as celebrating the life and legacy of King. Congressman John Lewis is a keynote speaker. 

The top 20 artists from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid Michigan Art Contest will also be honored at the luncheon. Artists created entries relevant to the luncheon’s theme along with a 250-word narrative that connects the piece to social justice and inequity.

Later that day, a commemorative march from the MSU Union to Beaumont Tower will be held at 3 p.m. to symbolize the fight for social justice, equity, civil and human rights. A community scholarship dinner at Hubbard Dining Hall with MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., senior advisor to the president Paulette Granberry Russell, vice presidents, deans and board members in attendance will follow. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. and students must register to attend.

Tuesday, Jan. 21

The MSU IDEA Coordinators’ Committee and the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives will hold a coffee and conversations event from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to honor “the contributions of historically underrepresented professionals at MSU.” Invited guests include Vice President and Associate Provost for Student Affairs and Services Denise Maybank, Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions Coordinator Emily Sorroche and more.

Friday, Jan. 24

The third-annual Social Justice Art Festival will be held in Snyder-Phillips Hall. The event is a way for students, faculty and other members of the community to convey  social justice issues through art. Registration is through Eventbrite.

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