The College of Wooster will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday, Jan. 20, through Thursday, Jan. 23.
The week will focus on the theme Meditations on Democracy, inviting students, faculty, staff and the community to participate in exploration and dialogue about issues that connect with King’s work and vision on civil rights and social justice, activism, responsibility and engagement.
The celebration begins with the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 20, in Kittredge Hall. Randal Maurice Jelks, Ruth N. Halls professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University, will present the keynote address.
Randal Maurice Jelks
Monday evening, the Wooster Gospel Choir and Jazz Ensemble will join four narrators in performing Christian McBride’s multi-movement work “The Movement Revisited” at First Presbyterian Church at 7 p.m., under the direction of Jeff Lindberg, professor of music at Wooster.
Jelks is an award-winning author, with a repertoire of more than four pieces, including an essay collection. He most recently released “Letters to Martin: Meditations on Democracy in Black America in 2022,”containing 12 meditations written in letter format to King. The book discusses issues in the United States including economic inequality, freedom of assembly, police brutality, ongoing social class conflicts and geopolitics.
Jelks also is a documentary film producer, contributing to works such as “Langston’s Lawrence,” “Garden City Kansas” and a documentary with Academy Award winner Kevin Willmott on Langston Hughes, a jazz poet and leader of the Harlem Renaissance, titled “I, Too, Sing America.”
Justice Dialogues puts emphasis on diverse public issues
The MLK Day celebration continues with Justice Dialogues in the Lowry Student Center at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, and Thursday, Jan. 23, engaging audiences in advocacy and justice conversations. The Justice Dialogues place a special emphasis on encouraging attendees to reflect not only on how diverse public issues impact the United States, but also how these daily issues impact themselves.
Aligning with King’s commitment to uplifting communities through unconditional love and compassion, the College will host a special edition of Soup and Bread 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Kittredge Hall. Proceeds will support lunch debt relief for Wooster City School District.
The College’s Longbrake Student Wellness Center is hosting a hygiene products drive throughout the week. Located at 570 E. Wayne Ave., the center will accept hygiene products and personal care items to support OneEighty’s shelter cupboards. OneEighty is a Wooster-based community organization committed to providing care and reducing stigma for individuals experiencing trauma, mental illness and substance use disorders.
All events are open to the public. For more information contact cdi@wooster.edu.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: College of Wooster hosts Randal Jelks as keynote MLK Day speaker