On the day honoring Martin Luther King Jr., the community is invited to come together at Franklin College for remembrance and introspection.
College organizers have put together a series of events to recognize King and his impact. Throughout the day, students and faculty will be taking part in community service events around Franklin, in recognition of the national Day of Service.
But the college has planned a number of activities open to the general public as well.
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“It’s a national holiday, and everyone would be hosting events in celebrating the day,” said Terri Roberts-Leonard, director of diversity and inclusion for Franklin College. “We want to make sure it’s recognized as what it is, and not just a day when the banks are closed and the schools are closed. It’s there to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Franklin College has been hosting events on King’s holiday for many years, though efforts have become more robust since Roberts-Leonard arrived at the school in 2013.
“A lot of times, people kind of dismiss the holiday, because it is one of the few black leaders in civil rights history where the name is well-known,” Roberts-Leonard said. “But I challenge people to tell me things about him that were not the March on Selma, or that he was assassinated, or the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech — the surface-level things. I challenge them to really talk about his life and his legacy, to learn his evolution of thought and action.”
Students, staff and the public will gather at the Richardson Chapel for a service led by the Rev. Richard Bray of the Eastern Star Church. Bray serves as the community partnerships manager for IUPUI’s Office of Community Engagement. In that role, he works with area organizations to help transform communities.
Following the service, people are planning to gather at the Indiana Alpha Gazebo, located to the west of the Hamilton Library on campus. The group has planned a commemorative march, chanting and carrying signs to honor King and countless other people who had marched in the past to win the freedoms we all enjoy today. The march will also serve as a sign of solidarity with those who still struggle to have their freedoms recognized today.
As the march ends at Richardson Chapel, the crux of the day’s celebration will begin with annual MLK Day Convocation Lecture, featuring Franklin College alumna Lisa Coffman, who works as a staff member at the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Coffman will present a lecture titled “The Relentless Pursuit of Dr. King’s Dream Today,” speaking about King’s relentless pursuit of civil rights and a more just American society. She will take a look at the ways in which we all can relentlessly pursue a better today and a better future in the spirit of the civil rights activist.
To conclude the celebration, the film “Moonlight” will be shown at the chapel. The 2017 film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and was lauded for its look at the black male identity and how that interacts with sexual identity.
All of the events are free and open to the public.
“We’ve been building the program to be the Johnson County hub for Martin Luther King Day,” she said.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day events
What: A series of activities meant to honor King’s legacy and examine how the fight for freedom is ongoing today
When: Today
Where: Franklin College campus
Schedule:
- 1:15 p.m.: chapel service with the Rev. Richard Bray, Richardson Chapel
- 3:15 p.m.: MLK Day Commemorative March, beginning west of the B.F. Hamilton Library
- 4 p.m.: “The Relentless Pursuit of Dr. King’s Dream Today," presented by Lisa Coffman as the MLK Day Convocation Lecture, Richardson Chapel
- 7 p.m.: Screening of the film "Moonlight," Richardson Chapel
All events are free and open to the public.
Information: franklincollege.edu/college-hosting-martin-luther-king-jr-day-of-celebration/
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