MLK Day Celebrations

Update:  Due to inclement weather the evening events at the University of Puget Sound have been postponed.  The school will work to reschedule these for a future date.

Next Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which means a day off from work and school for many of us, as well as a long roster of community celebrations competing for your attention.  We’ll try to summarize some here, although we’re sure to miss a few. 

City of Tacoma – “Forgiving the Past ~ Embracing the Future

Monday, January 16th the City will host its 24th annual MLK celebration, with keynote speaker Ms. Ester Nicholson.  The Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall (2727 East D. St.) will open at 10 a.m. and the event will take place between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Admission is free, and participants are encouraged to contribute to the MLK food drive

Details:  www.cityoftacoma.org

University of Puget Sound – Volunteering and Featured Speaker Lyle Quasim

The UPS MLK event begins Monday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m. at the Kilworth Memorial Chapel.  The event will feature Lyle Quasim speaking on “The Fire Within.”  University students, faculty and staff will also be giving up a portion of their day off to volunteer in the community, recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the manner that then president-elect Barack Obama called for in 2009. This, he said, is “not a day just to pause and reflect—it’s a day to act.”

Details:  www.pugetsound.edu

University of Washington, Tacoma – Unity Breakfast

This year’s Unity Breakfast features community recognition awards, local performing artists, and a new essay scholarship for current and potential students. The keynote speaker will be Kevin Gover, Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.  Monday, January 16, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in William W. Philip Hall, UW Tacoma.  Seating is limited, tickets $5 to $15.

Details:  www.tacoma.washington.edu/mlk

Bates Technical College

Bates has scheduled its MLK celebration, which will feature community advocates who will share what service and community means to them.  for this Friday, January 13th, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the college’s Downtown Campus Auditorium, 1101 S. Yakima Avenue in Tacoma.  On MLK Day staff, students and faculty will gather at the downtown campus, and march to the Tacoma Dome for the City’s celebration. 

Details:  Contact LeMont Lucas, diversity/ASG assistant: 253.680.7113, or visit www.bates.ctc.edu/Diversity.

Washington State History Museum

The WSHM will be offering free admission on MLK Jr Day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,  and offering a variety of programming, including family activity, Ghosts of the Great Hall, a program with Dr. Harris & Tuskegee Airmen, a presentation by retired NASA astronaut Bernard Harris, the first African American to walk in space, and local chapter representatives of the Tuskegee Airmen.  This is the last chance to see the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight before it closes and the only day to view the Washington State Moon Rock, an incredible artifact that is seldom on display.

Details:  www.wasingtonhistory.org

All Labor Has Dignity

If you’re looking for something a little more cerebral to mark the holiday, or just looking for your next read, you might want to consider UW Tacoma professor Michael Honey’s book, All Labor Has Dignity.  King’s labor speeches are as relevant today as they’ve ever been, and Honey, who edited and wrote the introduction for the book, sees clear connections to todays questions of economic justice. 

Details:  http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/news/new-book-martin-luther-king-jr-economic-rights-all-labor-has-dignity

Many of these events have at their core an element of service to the community.  This focus honors King’s contributions by providing opportunities to continue his work and spirit of service to his fellow man.  Whatever you end up doing with the day, we’re hoping everyone takes at least a moment to think about what it is about MLK that inspires us, what it is that keeps the celebration of his life alive more than four decades after his death, and what he meant to people when he was alive.  Maybe we can bring a bit of that spark to light our own way forward.