Events to honor legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (UNG) will host multiple events this month to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
An MLK Unity Breakfast is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 27 in room 3110 of the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building on UNG's Gainesville Campus, and an MLK Legacy Panel will be held virtually at noon Jan. 25. The panelists will be:
- Rev. Rose Johnson, executive director of the Newtown Florist Club in Gainesville, Georgia. The club promotes youth development and organizes for social, economic and environmental justice.
- Mardarius Thomas, UNG Master of Public Administration alumnus and owner of M3: The Corporate Coach. His group aims to "decrease the wealth gap by crafting accomplishment-based professional documents that increase our clients' employability levels."
- Desiderio Walker, a Moreland, Georgia, resident who is a junior pursuing a degree in sociology and serves as Black Student Union (BSU) president on the Dahlonega Campus.
Additionally, showings of the movie "Selma" are scheduled for noon Jan. 20 in the Robinson Ballroom on the Gainesville Campus and 5 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Hoag ABC Rooms on the Dahlonega Campus.
"We want to appreciate the historical context of Martin Luther King Jr.," Wade Manora Jr., director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), said. "But we also want to help inspire students to keep that legacy going forward."
"We want to appreciate the historical context of Martin Luther King Jr. But we also want to help inspire students to keep that legacy going forward."
Wade Manora Jr.
UNG director of Multicultural Student Affairs
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is Jan. 17 this year, is an annual celebration of the life and legacy of King. This federal holiday is celebrated on the third Monday of January each year in recognition of King's birthday. The holiday began as a state and local holiday as early as 1970, with the holiday first being observed federally in 1986.
King is best known for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and his advocacy for nonviolent resistance.
He was involved in multiple prominent events during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, the March on Washington in 1963, and the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 1965. King also received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964.
MSA is partnering with the Black Student Union on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses to hold additional events.
An MLK virtual trivia contest is at noon Jan. 18, followed by a knowledge presentation about King at noon Jan. 19.
Deborah Kakou, president of the BSU on the Gainesville Campus, said the MLK events can make a vital impact on the UNG community.
"It's important to continue to draw awareness and show why we're still celebrating him," Kakou said.
Full information is available on UNG's MLK events webpage.
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