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St. Olaf to host events in honor of Martin Luther King

By Tom Vogel
January 12, 2007

Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King
In recognition of Martin Luther King's birthday Jan. 15, a variety of events will be held around the St. Olaf campus over the course of several days. The events will be sponsored by the Cultural Union for Black Expression.

A day of silence will be observed Friday, Jan. 12, to symbolize how different the atmosphere at St. Olaf would be if no people of color were present. The day of silence is open to everyone. Participants will receive a tag with a short description explaining their silence. More information will be distributed outside Stav Hall in the days prior to the activity.

On Saturday, Jan. 13, the MLK Poetry Slam will be held in The Pause's Lion's Lair at 8 p.m. Students will perform poetry readings that will be judged by a panel and the audience. Results of the contest will be announced during the MLK Celebration in Buntrock Commons, Crossroads, on Monday, Jan. 15.

The Long Walk Home will be shown Sunday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m., in Viking Theater. The film dramatizes the 1955-56 events in Montgomery, Ala., when blacks boycotted public transportation in response to being forced to sit in the back of buses and trains.

The week's events culminate with a Martin Luther King Celebration Monday, Jan. 15, at 10:10 a.m., in Boe Memorial Chapel. The chapel service will feature guest speaker Dr. Lolita King '92.

King graduated from St. Olaf with a degree in psychology and went on to obtain a M.A. and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota. She currently is an independent licensed psychologist in Minneapolis, and she has worked in a variety of settings including day treatment programs, college counseling centers, public schools and non-profit community mental health agencies.

A reception in Buntrock Commons, Crossroads, will follow the chapel service, during which the winner of the MLK Poetry Slam will be announced.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.