Celebrating MLK's legacy

The University of Iowa will honor and the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. during the annual MLK Celebration of Human Rights Jan. 20-31.

The 2014 poster design promoting MLK Celebration day challenges us to help others. With this year’s theme in mind, UI students, faculty, and staff were asked to create posters sharing what they are doing for others. See the responses here.

This year’s events include a Day of Service focused on hunger and homelessness, a unity walk and tribute on the Pentacrest, and a lecture by CNN journalist, documentarian, and TV news producer Soledad O’Brien.

Visit mlk.uiowa.edu for the latest information on the full range of activities and exhibits. Some of the celebration’s events include:

Unity March and “Time to Remember,” Monday, Jan. 20, 3:30 p.m. at Pentacrest and Old Capitol Museum: Participants will gather at the east entrance of the Old Capitol. After the walk, a “Time to Remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” will be held in the Old Capitol Senate Chambers.

“Building Positive Care Relationships Between Health Care Workers and Transgender Patients,” Tuesday, Jan. 21, at noon Nursing Clinical Education Center, W417 General Hospital: Presentation by stef shuster, graduate fellow in the UI Department of Sociology, sponsored by UI Health Care.

“Structural Violence: Health Disparities in the U.S. and Abroad,” Wednesday, Jan. 22, at noon in Galagan Auditorium, Dental Science Building: Chris Buresh, clinical associate professor of emergency medicine in the UI Carver College of Medicine, will draw on his experience in Haiti to discuss social factors that affect health.

Soledad O’Brien

Soledad O’Brien lecture, Thursday, Jan. 23, at noon at Prem Sahai Auditorium, Medical Education and Research Facility: The award-winning journalist and founder of Starfish Media Group—a multimedia production company focused on issues of race and class—will discuss “Diversity: On TV, Behind the Scenes, and in Our Lives.” A reception follows.

Community of Color reception,Thursday, Jan. 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. in Van Oel Multipurpose Room, Currier Hall: Food, fun, and resources for students, faculty, and staff. Sponsored by the Center for Diversity and Enrichment in the UI Chief Diversity Office and Residence Education.

“Bringing the Vision Home: Celebrating Iowa Women of the Civil Rights Movement,” Thursday, Jan. 23, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Black Box Theater, Iowa Memorial Union: Presenting a spoken-word performance by Wisdom Beyond Words and a multimedia tribute to Iowa women civil rights activists. A reception follows.

Larry Yazzie performance, Friday, Jan. 24, at noon in the Filling Station, south first floor, Dental Science Building: Performance by the two-time World Champion Fancy Dancer and member of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa/Meskwaki.

“Sweet Songs of Sorrow and Joy: Jazz, Poetry, MLK, and Civil Rights,” Saturday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. in Theatre B, Theatre Building: A free music and theater production featuring Damani Phillips, assistant professor of jazz studies and African American studies, playing classic jazz pieces and discussing the artists’ and work’s connections to King and the civil right movement. Student poets, playwrights, and actors from the Darwin Turner Action Theater will read from original work and MLK speeches.

In addition, the UI College of Education will host its Martin Luther King Jr. Research Symposium Friday, Feb. 7, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in N300 Lindquist Center (Jones Commons), showcasing student research projects related to diversity.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation to participate in these programs, contact the UI Center for Student Involvement and Leadership in advance at 319-335-3059.