For the King Celebration, the annual observance of the life of Martin Luther King Jr., UGA’s Office of Institutional Diversity is sponsoring a series of events designed to honor the late civil rights leader and to continue his legacy.
This year’s theme is “Connecting Lives Through Unity: The Power of the Dream.” It reflects the bond between the university and the Athens community, said Joan Pittman, program coordinator in the Office of Institutional Diversity.
“We chose (the theme) to explain everything about what we’re doing. We’re trying to bridge community with UGA campus, to collaborate to gain diversity on the campus and throughout the community. The campus is right here in the back yard of the city and the people in the city aren’t always familiar with the campus,” she said.
Keeping with the theme, the events are distributed across campus and the community. Events involving King Celebration run throughout January. Events include:
Jan. 12: Freedom Breakfast and presentation of the President’s 2007 Fulfilling the Dream Award at 7:30 a.m. in Georgia Hall of the Tate Student Center. Featured speaker is Evelyn Lowery, civil rights leader.
A screening of Citizen King starts at 2 p.m. in Memorial Hall.
Jan. 13: Athens Area Human Relations Banquet at 7 p.m. at the Classic Center. Tickets cost $25. For more information, contact Hattie Lawson at (706) 207-9010 or lawsonh@clarke.k12.ga.us.
Jan.15: Kickoff for Martin Luther King Day of Service at 9 a.m. at Athens Area Council on Aging. Volunteer activities run from 10 a.m.–
1 p.m. at the Council on Aging, Gaines School Elementary, Brooklyn Cemetery, Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery and Spalding Cemetery.
Martin Luther King Day Celebration at 1 p.m. at Lyndon House Arts Center. Entertainment, speeches, educational activities and arts and crafts. For more information, call (706) 613-3155.
Jan 16: A panel discussion on Dr. King and Mahatma Ghandi with Derrick Alridge, an associate professor in the College of Education, begins at noon in Memorial Hall’s Adinkra Hall.
A screening of Brother Outsider about the life of Bayard Rustin runs at 7:30 p.m. at Tate Theater.
Jan. 17: A presentation from the Civil Rights Digital Library begins at noon in Room 368 of the Student Learning Center.
An interfaith service starts at 7 p.m. in the Tate Student Center’s Reception Hall.
A screening of Four Little Girls is set for 8 p.m. in the Student Learning Center.
Jan. 18: A screening of Place of Rage or Home of the Brave begins at noon in Memorial Hall’s Adinkra Hall.
Gospelfest, a showcase of various community choir singers, begins at 7 p.m. in the Morton Theatre downtown.
Jan. 19: The African Student Union hosts the international coffee hour from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Hall Ballroom.
Jan. 20: The Black Affairs Council Unity Ball at the Tate Student Center’s Georgia Hall starts at 8 p.m. Dress is formal.
Jan. 21: A community church service starts at 11 a.m. at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church at 610 Epps Bridge Parkway.
Jan. 26: The Indian Student Union hosts the international coffee hour at the Memorial Hall Ballroom.
