Kansas State University celebrates 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit with observance week
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University will host a variety of events Jan. 19-26 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s visit to the Manhattan campus.
As part of Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week, Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, will give a lecture at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union. A candlelight vigil will follow.
The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets are available for faculty, staff and the public in the Office of Diversity, 224 Anderson Hall, and for students in the Center for Student Involvement, Room 114 of the K-State Student Union.
Two overflow seating areas will be available in the K-State Alumni Center's Ballroom and the Union's courtyard.
King III serves as an ambassador of his parent's legacy of nonviolent social change. He is the elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference — the organization co-founded by his father. He also serves as president of Realizing the Dream Inc., which he founded to continue the legacy of his father, and leads nonviolence training around the world to spread his message to a global audience.
"It is an incredible opportunity to have Martin Luther King III visit our campus and celebrate the 50th anniversary of his father's speech at K-State," said Adrian Rodriguez, associate vice president for student life for diversity and multicultural student affairs. "I encourage the university community to participate in the week of observance events to build on our KSUnite effort and continue our work toward strengthening diversity, inclusion and equity."
Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week will include the following events. All events are free and open to the public. More information is available at k-state.edu/diversity/mlk/events.html or on the Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week Facebook page.
• Friday, Jan. 19, 3:30 p.m., Town Hall at the Leadership Studies Building, "I was there: Reflections on MLK's 1968 K-State visit." Bill Hill, Manhattan resident and 1972 graduate of Manhattan High School; Sue Maes '69, ’72, ’98, dean emeritus of Kansas State University Global Campus; Sylvia Robinson '71, chair-elect of the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors; and Bill Worley '68, professor of history at Metropolitan Community College, Blue River campus; will reflect on their experiences of attending Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 speech at Kansas State University.
• Monday, Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m., 137 Waters Hall, 14th annual College of Agriculture Diversity Student Leader Reception, "50 years of living the dream." Kevin Burnett, chief operating officer of the Richardson/Plano Guide Right Foundation and former senior vice president of Lucent Technologies, will be the speaker. Burnett also is an alumnus of Kansas State University.
• Tuesday, Jan. 23, 1:15 p.m., College of Business Administration Building Auditorium, 18th annual College of Business Administration Diversity Lecture. Natacha Buchanan, senior advisor of inclusion and diversity at Phillips 66 and 2002 Kansas State University graduate in accounting, will be the speaker.
• Tuesday, Jan. 23, 3:30 p.m., K-State Alumni Center Banquet Room, Commerce Bank Presidential Awards for Diversity reception. Larry Moeder, associate vice president for student life and executive director of admissions and student financial assistance, and Chelsea Turner, junior in American ethnic studies, will be honored for promoting diversity at Kansas State University.
• Tuesday, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m., Heritage Room, Room 223 of Weber Hall, professional development event hosted by the College of Agriculture.
• Wednesday, Jan. 24, noon to 3 p.m., K-State Student Union courtyard, fourth annual Civil Rights College of Arts and Sciences Teach-In. Four Kansas State University faculty members will speak on social justice issues related to race, gender and sexual orientation.
• Wednesday, Jan. 24, 3 to 4 p.m., Town Hall of the Leadership Studies Building, "Sins of our fathers: Growing up in the shadow of segregation and in the hope of integration" lecture by Tim de Noble, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning, & Design.
• Wednesday, Jan. 24, 4:30 p.m., Regnier Forum at Regnier Hall, "Design, culture, work + life: People, place and the future" presentation by Cheryl S. Durst, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the International Interior Design Association.
• Thursday, Jan. 25, 12:30 p.m., Banquet Room, Forum Hall in K-State Student Union, lecture by Martin Luther King III and candlelight vigil.
• Thursday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Bust, near the southeast corner of Ahearn Field House, Laying of the Wreaths ceremony.
• Thursday, Jan. 25, 5:30 p.m., Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, "I Am Not Your Negro" screening. This 2016 documentary examines racism in 20th-century America by bringing to life James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript, "Remember the House," narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. Kansas State University Black Student Union leaders will moderate a post-film discussion.
• Friday, Jan. 26, noon, Cottonwood Room in the K-State Student Union, Kansas State University Affinity Group brown bag lunch. Bring a lunch and listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 speech at Kansas State University.
