Although campus is closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students still have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with fellow students, staff and community members.
“It’s a historical event and it’s a hard-fought-for major holiday to honor Dr. King, who certainly championed the cause of all people for their civil rights and human rights,” Chief Diversity Officer Gwendolyn Jones said.
On Jan. 21 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., a free continental breakfast will be served in the Great Hall in Building 12. Afterwards, those that attended the breakfast and are wishing to participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally will start at the Peace Bridge and will march to the Dayton Convention Center. Other Dayton community members will start at the Drew Health Center.
Students attending the Courseview campus will march in Cincinnati from the Freedom Center to the Music Hall.
At 10:30 a.m., various rallies and speeches will begin at the Convention Center. At noon, participants will join together to watch the Presidential Inauguration. From 1 – 3 p.m., various workshops will be held at the Convention Center.
Jones mentioned that the schedule is tentative and will depend on the weather.
During the week prior to the holiday, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I have a Dream Series will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Library Loggia. During that hour, various speakers will read selections of the “I have a Dream” speech and audience members will discuss and interpret the meaning. However, two of the speakers for the event will perform interpretations.
During Wednesday’s discussion, Rodney Veal will analyze the speech through dance; during Thursday’s discussion, Tammy Cooper will act out interpretations as Cynthia Wesley, a victim of the 1963 16th street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham.
“It sensitizes us to the struggles that people went through in order to gain our civil and human rights and also it points out the sacrifices that were made as well,” Jones said.
Jones said Sinclair, Wright State University, University of Dayton and Central State University are collaborating for the event; several groups within Sinclair, such as Student Leadership Development, Holocaust Remembrance Committee, Theatre and Dance Department and Center for Teaching and Learning have co-sponsored the event.
“In other words, partner and collaborating are the ways and means to get things done,” Jones said.
She said there were over 300 participants solely from Sinclair last year and she is hoping for just as many, if not more, this year.