Elizabethtown College commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday with community service and multiple event

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (12/23/2011)(readMedia)-- Elizabethtown College will mark Monday, Jan. 16, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, with a series of events including a day dedicated to service. Most events outline below are open to the public. A complete list of events is available online by visiting http://www.etown.edu/mlk.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Week 2012 – January 16 through 20

Monday, Jan. 16, 10:30 a.m. - MLK Program Kick Off

Location: Brossman Commons, Blue Bean Café

Opening celebration of activities and events to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, Jan. 16, 11 a.m. - MLK-themed lunch

Location: Brossman Commons, Marketplace

The Office of Diversity hosts a traditional southern fare-themed lunch in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, Jan. 16, 6:15 p.m. - MLK Candlelight March

Location: begin at Brossman Commons, Blue Bean Café

Reenact the Civil Rights March to remember the struggles of the civil rights movement of which Martin Luther King, Jr. was a major leader.

Monday, Jan. 16 – All day (no classes)

Community Service Activities

A day of service to the community, at large, in celebration of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

(for campus community)

Monday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. - MLK Gospel Extravaganza and Awards

Location: Leffler Chapel and Performance Center

Various community and college performers, including Harris AME Zion Church Choir; Alysa Poindexter '12, English Professional Writing major and Communications minor; Elizabethtown College Concert Choir; Elizabeth Jeffries; St. Peter's Lutheran Church Choir and Jamal Anthony Gospel Rock celebrate through music, dance and spoken word. Awards are given to faculty and staff members for contributions to diversity and inclusion.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m. - MLK presentation, "Black History of the White House"

Location: Leffler Chapel and Performance Center

Dr. Clarence Lusane, associate professor at the School of International Service, American University, and an author, scholar and journalist on race, human rights and electoral politics, presents "Black History of the White House." Lusane teaches and researches on international human rights, comparative race relations, social movements and electoral politics. For more than 30 years, he has written about and been active in national and international anti-racism politics, globalization, U.S. foreign policy, human rights and social issues such as education and drug policy. Lusane spent two years living in London while conducting research on racism and human rights in Europe and working with European institutions and NGOs.

His most recent book is The Black History of the White House (City Lights), a comprehensive history of the White House from an African-American perspective; illuminating the central role it has played in advancing, thwarting or simply ignoring efforts to achieve equal rights for all. Read more about Dr. Clarence Lusane here:

http://www.speakoutnow.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50&uid=90

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 8:30 p.m. - Soul Café "Stand Up"

Location: Brossman Commons, Blue Bean Café

The Soul Café theme is "Stand Up," and will involve questions about what students stand for in terms of justice and service.

Elizabethtown College, in south-central Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Through personal attention, creative inspiration and academic challenge, Elizabethtown College students are encouraged to expand their intellectual curiosity and are given the opportunity to become a bigger part of the world through experiential learning-research, internships and study abroad. Elizabethtown College's overall commitment to Educate for Service is fulfilled as students are taught intellectually, socially, aesthetically and ethically for lives of service and leadership.

Visit www.etown.edu for more information about Elizabethtown College.