UT will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event at 3 p.m. on Monday in the UC auditorium.
Made possible through the joint efforts of the Office of Multicultural Student Life and the Black Cultural Programming Committee (BCPC), UT’s MLK Day festivities will feature a presentation by the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, a performance by the Love United Gospel Choir and a theatrical performance.
“It’s just a celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy,” Shawnboda Mead, associate director of diversity and multicultural education, said.
Mead also advises BCPC.Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated annually nationwide on the third Monday of January to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement, King is famous for advocating nonviolent activism in the face of overwhelming racial oppression.
President Ronald Reagan signed the federal holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed in 1986. However, the holiday was not observed by all 50 states until the year 2000.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is also seen as a holiday to continue the promotion of equal rights for all Americans regardless of their differing backgrounds.
Though MLK Day is an annual event at UT, this is the first year the event will have a theatrical performance. Entitled “The Meeting,” the piece revolves around a fictional encounter between King and Malcolm X.
“We are hoping that the student body would find this very intriguing and want to at least have an idea of how these two historical icons would react to one another,” Ashley McCray, BCPC chair, said.
Mead believes that the performance is an entertaining approach to educating people about King.
“We wanted to do something a little different this year in hopes of attracting students and give the community a more entertaining way to learn about Dr. King and his contributions,” Mead said. ” I think the performance should be really entertaining and educational. It’s a captivating piece I think people will really enjoy.”
In addition to the theatrical performance, the Alpha fraternity will be present. Each year, the fraternity volunteers to participate in the event because King was also a member of the organization.
Love United Gospel Choir will also perform, singing gospel hymns from King’s era.
“There is no exact central theme for the event,” McCray said. “We would like for the student body to soak in any information that they can get from our program (BCPC), especially this year. Part of our mission is to inform the student body of African-American influences and contributions to history.”
Even though students do not have school to observe the holiday, Mead encourages students to stick around campus and attend the MLK Day program.
“It’s a day off of school to remember and celebrate Dr. King’s legacy,” Mead said.
Doors for the event open at 2:30 p.m., and the program will start at 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be served after the event’s conclusion.
The event is free and open to the public.
