Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2017
January 14 to January 27, 2017
MLK Jr. Kids Day
Sunday, Jan. 14 | 3 to 5 p.m. | James Monroe High School
Children from the Fredericksburg area are invited to enjoy games, activities, and crafts to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the community MLK celebration. The event is sponsored by the Fredericksburg-area Partnership for Academic Excellence. Students are asked to register online on MyUMW.
“Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise” Discussion & Documentary
Monday, Jan. 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Colonnade Room 315, University Center
A showing of the PBS Documentary, “Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise,” with an accompanying discussion. This event will highlight Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy, and his changing approach from civil rights to his fight for economic justice, as well as his stance against the Vietnam War, between 1966 and 1968. Also, we will be discussing the parallels between the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and the Black Lives Matter Movement today. Our dialogue will delve into the impact of Dr. King’s assassination on the Civil Rights Movement and what it means to be Black in America fifty years later.
The University of Mary Washington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speaker: April Ryan
Wednesday, Jan. 24 • 7 p.m. • Chandler Ballroom, University Center
Sponsored by the Office of the President
MLK Keynote Speaker April Ryan
April Ryan is the White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks and is a
23-year journalism veteran. She’s interviewed former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama; former Vice President Al Gore; former Sens. John Kerry and Hillary Clinton; and South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Ryan has covered visits by former President Bush and first lady Laura Bush to the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina; traveled with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Haiti; and, accompanied presidential trips to African countries. Top newspapers and national television newscasts have picked up her breaking news stories and interviews. Ryan can be seen almost daily on CNN as a political analyst.
Ryan is an esteemed member of the National Press Club and is currently the only black female reporter covering urban issues from the White House. She has been named one of the Outstanding Young Women in America and an American Swiss Foundation Young Leader. She’s a Baltimore native and graduate of Morgan State University.
MLK Jr. Day of Service
Saturday, January 27 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Chandler Ballroom, University Center
The UMW MLK Day of Service provides students a way to give back to their community to honor the legacy of Dr. King and his commitment to strengthening communities. Many different service projects, which will be donated to various agencies in the Fredericksburg area, will be available for students to complete. Afterward, a discussion will take place regarding servant leadership and working toward social change.
A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. All members of the campus community are invited to participate. Please register online on MyUMW.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at 540/654-1044 or umwjfmc@gmail.com .