Michigan State University’s 2013 celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy will not only include various campus happenings, but it will set the stage for next year’s commemorative events surrounding the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Topeka Board of Education and 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The Road to Social Justice Begins with One Step” – the theme of this year’s celebration – was deliberately selected as a precursor for the 60/50 events taking place January 2014-15. The theme will be central to each program initiative that takes place.
In keeping with MSU’s land-grant tradition and core value of inclusion, the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will explore issues around social justice from domestic and global perspectives.
This year’s festivities kick off with a film presentation and dialogue at 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at the main library.
Other events include the MLK Student Leadership Conference and Resource Fair taking place Jan. 19 at the MSU Union, the annual commemorative march that steps off at 3 p.m. Jan. 21 from the MSU Union and ends at Beaumont Tower, and a community dinner that starts at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at Akers Hall.
All commemorative events are free and open to the public. Some events may require an RSVP to attend. A complete list of events can be found here.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 21. Classes are cancelled, but the university remains open.