EAST LANSING. Mich. — In addition to recognizing the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, Michigan State University’s 26th Martin Luther King Jr. celebratory activities will include a musical tribute to a Michigan woman who also changed the course of history.
The MSU Jazz Band I, directed by Rodney Whitaker, will present two free concerts on Sunday, Jan. 15, to honor the life of King and pay tribute to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, who died last year at the age of 92.
Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus to a white man and was arrested, convicted of violating segregation laws and fined. The incident sparked the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and turned the country’s attention to racial equality and segregation issues.
The two free performances at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. will include music by Stefanee Morrison, a freshman music therapy student from South Lyon and a family friend of Rosa Parks who sang at Parks’ funeral in November, and other MSU faculty and staff.
Performances will be held in the Pasant Theatre of the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, located at Shaw Lane and Bogue Street. General admission tickets are free, but are required. Tickets are available at the Wharton Center box office on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets may not be reserved by phone. Donations to benefit the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Scholarship can be made at the concert.
The overall theme of this year’s commemorative celebration, “The Struggle for Freedom: Our Right to Vote,” marks the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many Southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests, as a prerequisite to voting.
Other university-wide events open to the public on Monday, Jan. 16, include:
- A march from Beaumont Tower to “The Rock” at 4:45 p.m., which will include the recitation of excerpts from King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” by Lee June, vice president for student affairs and services.
- The Celebratory Community Dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Akers Hall Cafeteria, following the theme of “The Vote: A Right, Privilege or Obligation?” MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon will give welcome remarks. A silent auction of original artwork titled “A Tribute to Rosa Parks” will be held throughout the dinner. Dinner is free to MSU community members with a valid MSU ID (up to two tickets per person), but registration is required by noon, Friday, Jan 13. To purchase dinner tickets for $7.50, individuals also must register by noon Jan. 13. Registered guests may pick up their tickets at the door. There will be no on-site registration. Call Venice Smith, multicultural development coordinator, Office of Affirmative Action, Compliance and Monitoring, at (517) 432-0663 for more information.
Students are planning a series of events and programs open to the public, including:
- The Student Leadership Conference on Monday, Jan. 16, with Bill Lawson, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Memphis and former MSU faculty member as the keynote speaker. The conference, following the theme “40 Years Later: From Voting to Activism…What Are Your Rights,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the MSU Union.
- Students will go “Into the Streets” for community service projects on Jan. 16. The opening session will be held at 9:15 a.m. in Room N-130 of the Business Complex.
- “Showtyme at MSU,” featuring student talent, will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 14 in the International Center Food Court.
- A 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be held from 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20 and 21. Teams must register by Jan. 18.
MSU colleges and units will hold special programs and workshops throughout January and February.
For a listing of college events, registration forms for the dinner and tournament and more information about the events, visit the Web at www.diversity.msu.edu/mlk