Emporia State University will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the week of January 22. Events include two special speakers and a candlelight vigil.
The celebration of Dr. King coincides with the first full week of classes in the spring semester. The week begins with a candlelight vigil from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, in Union Square, between the Memorial Union and Plumb Hall.
On Thursday, Jan. 25, Dr. Randal Jelks, professor of American Studies and African and African American Studies at the University of Kansas, will present “Not the Same Justice, but the New Racism” from 6 to 8 p.m. in the PKP room on the lower level of the Union.
Jelks has written two books — “African Americans in the Furniture City: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Grand Rapids” and “Benjamin Elijah Mays, Schoolmaster of the Movement: A Biography.”
Events conclude on Friday, Jan. 26, with the MLK Lecture — “Looking for Martin: Dr. King, Community, Civil Rights, Social Media and the New Activism” by Kevin Powell, one of the most acclaimed political, cultural, literary and hip-hop voices in America today.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at (620) 341-5841 or multicultural@emporia.edu.