Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, but there’s a full week of events planned in State College
Martin Luther King Jr. Day will fall on Jan. 20 this year, which also marks the beginning of MLK Jr. Commemoration Week at University Park, organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Student Committee.
This year’s theme of the Commemoration Week is “The Story of U.S: Exposing the Unarmed Truth.” Last year’s celebration had the theme, “Where Do We Go From Here: A Tradition of Resistance.”
In a statement on its website, the student committee said that the new theme “encompasses all who have a story to tell, which is every student at Penn State, every person in this country and world.”
The week will kick off on Monday with a National Day of Service from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the HUB-Robeson Center. It’s open to all students with a valid Penn State ID.
On Tuesday, King’s birthday, there will be a remembrance event starting at 3:30 p.m. in the State College Municipal Building. There will also be the annual “Slam Poetry Contest” beginning at 7 p.m. in the State College Area High School.
This will be the 35th annual Commemoration Week, and an evening celebration will take place on Wednesday featuring CNN political contributors and progressive policy advocates Symone D. Sanders and Bakari Sellers.
The doors of Schwab Auditorium open at 5:30 p.m., and priority entrance will be given to students with a valid Penn State University Park photo ID on a first-come, first-served basis.
An oratorical contest will take place on Thursday called “Speak for Peace” sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. It will run from 6-9 p.m. at Heritage Hall in the HUB.
On Friday, speaker Yessenia Funes will present on environmental justice in the era of climate change as a part of the Sustainability Showcase Series. It will run from noon-1:30 p.m. and take place in room 233AB of the HUB. To register to attend and receive a complimentary lunch provided by the Council of Sustainable Leaders, visit pennstatecsl.com.
A panel and three “reentry simulations” sponsored by the Restorative Justice Institute will also take place on Friday. The panel will feature guest speaker Nick Pressley in room 129C of the HUB at 9 a.m., followed by the three simulation sessions running from 10:30 a.m.-noon, 1:15-2:30 p.m., and 3-4:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall of the HUB. Participants are to meet outside Alumni Hall at the beginning of each session.
More information on the events can be found at the committee’s website at sites.psu.edu/studentmlk.