Plans to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Durham are taking shape, with events that feature the national NAACP president, reflections on integrating Durham schools as children, local clergy preaching and a parade.The NAACP’s outgoing president, Benjamin Jealous, is the keynote speaker for Duke University’s MLK commemoration. He will speak at 3 p.m. Jan. 19 at Duke Chapel. Duke’s observance theme is “50 Years: Backwards or Forward?” relating to the 2013 50th anniversary of Duke’s first African-American undergraduate students as well as the 1963 March on Washington, and the upcoming anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For Jealous’ speech, there will be free parking in Duke’s Bryan Center parking garage near the chapel.
“The theme really came out of the discussion about the nation being at one of those critical points where there are significant challenges to the progress we’ve made over the decades and even some moves backwards,” said
Benjamin Reese, co-chairman of the MLK Planning Committee and vice president for Duke’s Office for Institutional Equity, said in the university announcement that the theme came out of discussion “about the nation being at one of those critical points where there are significant challenges to the progress we’ve made over the decades and even some moves backwards.”
Jealous served as NAACP president since 2008. Last year, the keynote speaker was the Rev. William Turner, a Duke Divinity School professor and alum who is also co-chairman of the commemoration committee.
Duke students also will join Durham Technical Community College students on Jan. 20 at Durham Tech for a MLK Million Meals Project to benefit Stop Hunger Now. Details about Duke MLK events are listed online at mlk.duke.edu.
At N.C. Central University, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day convocation will be held at 9:45 a.m. Jan. 16 in B.N. Duke Auditorium on campus, 1851 Fayetteville St. Marc Lamont Hill is the guest speaker. For information, contact Michael Page at 919-530-5263
or mpage@nccu.edu.
