MLK Day Event Honors Voting Rights Legacy

Whitfield keynotes; Sen. Murray, Rep. Kilmer to speak 

TACOMA, WASH. — The ninth annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Unity Breakfast will be held in UW Tacoma’s new University Y Student Center at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 19, to recognize and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his historic civic leadership that inspired a nation to strive for equality. This year’s event also will recognize the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the landmark U.S. legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

A campaign for just such legislation, led by Dr. King in Selma, Alabama, was met with violent attacks. President Lyndon Johnson introduced the legislation that same month, “with the outrage of Selma still fresh.” This gathering honors the message of Dr. King and the progress he continues to inspire.

The keynote address will be given by Fredricka Whitfield, a national news anchor for CNN who has reported from all over the world including the Persian Gulf region during the wars, Beijing and London for the Olympics. Prior to CNN, she was a correspondent for NBC Nightly News, The Today Show and Dateline NBC, covering stories including the highly contested 2000 presidential race. In her nearly three-decades-long career, Whitfield has garnered multiple awards and honors for her broadcasting.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-6) will also make remarks at the breakfast.

The Unity Breakfast was established by UW Tacoma’s Black Student Union to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King and inspire members of the campus community to continue to work to make his vision of an equitable society a reality. Students, faculty, and community members who have made outstanding contributions to the community will be recognized through the Dream Awards, which are presented during the program.

The 2015 Unity Breakfast is co-sponsored by the UW Tacoma Division of Student and Enrollment Services and the UW Tacoma Black Student Union.

What: 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr., Unity Breakfast
When: Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, 8 to 10:30 a.m.
Where: University Y Student Center, 1710 Market St., Tacoma, Wash.
Who: Keynote speaker Fredricka Whitfield; remarks by Sen. Patty Murray, Rep. Derek Kilmer; presentation of Dream Awards
Cost: $15 adult ($20 at door); $10 UW Tacoma student/child
More information/registration: http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/mlk