BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- In commemoration of the living legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Indiana University will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration with a number of activities across each of IU’s campuses. IU students will also take part in the MLK Day of Service, a student-driven effort to give back to the surrounding communities.
“The breadth of activities taking place illustrates not only how the Indiana University community can come together in goodwill but also how individuals can make a difference through Dr. King’s values of courage and compassion,” said James Wimbush, vice president of diversity, equity and multicultural affairs and dean of the University Graduate School. “Many of IU’s students, faculty and staff are leaders and agents of change who have positively impacted others through their actions, which is something the university seeks to nurture through a welcoming and inclusive learning environment.”
The theme of IU Bloomington’s celebration is “The Power of One.” A leadership breakfast takes place Jan. 16 and will feature keynote speaker John Quiñones, an award-winning television news anchor and the host of the ABC show “What Would You Do?” The breakfast, sponsored by IU’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, will also honor individuals and organizations. Among those are students, faculty, staff and community members who will receive the Building Bridges Awards for how their selfless contributions have emulated King’s ideas.
Limited seating is available for the breakfast, so guests must register online by Jan. 10. IU students, faculty and staff who can’t attend the breakfast can watch the event via broadcast.iu.edu beginning at 8:30 a.m.
IU Bloomington will also partner with the City of Bloomington for its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration taking place at 6 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The free public event will feature Adam Foss, an advocate for criminal justice reform and former assistant district attorney in Boston, and musical performances, including the IU African American Choral Ensemble.
At Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the 48th Annual IUPUI Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner, the longest-running Martin Luther King Day-related event in the Indianapolis community, takes place at 6 p.m. Jan. 15. Organized by the IUPUI Black Student Union in conjunction with IUPUI’s Multicultural Center, the dinner will take place at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis, 140 W. Washington St. Tickets may be purchased online.
IUPUI’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2017 will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16. Participants will meet for breakfast at the IUPUI Campus Center and then volunteer together at community sites across Indianapolis as a way to honor King's commitment to service and social justice.
Other IU Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration events at IU Bloomington that are open to the public:
- “The Power of Protest” -- A discussion forum hosted by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the O’Neill Graduate Center. This event, which will involve students and faculty, will tackle subjects such as civil disobedience and war protests from a historical perspective as well as present-day issues.
- “Who Are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders?” -- A workshop and luncheon sponsored by the IU Bloomington Asian Culture Center, in conjunction with the Community and Leadership Development Center, from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 13 at the IU Asian Culture Center. Participants will focus on personal accountability and community engagement with an eye toward making positive personal, professional and academic changes in 2017.
- The sixth annual Kelley School of Business National Diversity Case Competition -- An event with elite, diverse undergraduate students from institutions across the country, Jan. 13 and 14. Aside from the competition itself, students will have the opportunity to attend a networking reception, dinner and workshops and interact with the corporate partners judging the competition.
- “Unity Summit: From Words to Actions” -- Hosted by the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 16. The event will be an interactive exploration of King’s writings and speeches, studying them to see how they can apply to today’s society.
- “Wrapping Youth in Warmth” -- An event hosted by the School of Informatics and Computing, from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 in Informatics East, Room 150. Participants will create no-sew fleece hat and scarf sets to be distributed to underprivileged youth.
- “MLK Day Weave-In: One Million Stars to End Violence” -- A collaboration with Bloomington’s Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. Participants will learn the Samoan star-weaving technique and have a chance to contribute stars to an installation being sent to Australia for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games as a part of an initiative against violence.
- Black Lives Matter with David Banner -- Hosted by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity’s Alpha Chapter, from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 16 at Ballentine Hall. Banner, a popular musical artist, will discuss the judicial system and share his thoughts on the recent presidential election.
- A film screening of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” -- Hosted by Residential Programs and Services, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Foster Quad Formal Lounge. The film, about a Holocaust concentration camp, explores the power of prejudice.
- “U.S. Latino Riots and Social Unrest” -- A presentation hosted by the La Casa Latino Cultural Center, from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 17. The talk will be given by Aaron Fountain, a Ph.D. student in the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of History, who created an interactive map documenting historical urban rebellions in Latino communities in the United States since 1966.
- MLK Day Write-In -- The IU GLBT Student Support Services Office will host a drop-in letter-writing event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Global and Interntaional Studies Building, Room 1112. Paper, pens and writing prompts will be provided for participants to write a letter to the newly elected president and state representatives about what is important to you. The letters will be mailed to the White House and Indiana statehouse.
Events on other IU campuses:
- IU Kokomo: Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority is hosting a screening of “13th,” a documentary about race and the criminal justice system, at 6 p.m. Jan. 13 at Kresge Auditorium. On Jan. 14, the sorority will also host a day of events at Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church’s Family Life Center, including free breakfast and lunch, free health screenings, a “Town Talk” panel, a teen summit and various programs and activities for attendees of all ages.
- Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus: A discussion forum, “Building Alliances for Justice in Our Democracy: Making Time for Activism and Advocacy,” takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Columbus Learning Center. Featuring Khaula Murtadha of IUPUI, the event will also include a presentation of the IUPUC Diversity Awards.
- IU Northwest: Joy DeGruy, author of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing,” will be the featured speaker at the campus's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration, from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Savannah Center, Bergland Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the IU Northwest Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies and the Department of Minority Studies.
More information about IU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration is available online.