SUNY Potsdam to Honor Martin Luther King with Community 'Marade' on Jan. 31

POTSDAM, NY (01/13/2016)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with special commemorative events open to campus and community. In time for the return of students and the start of classes, the College will celebrate on Sunday, Jan. 31.

All are welcome to join students, faculty and staff for a community MLK Day "Marade" at 3 p.m. on Jan. 31. Combining a march and a parade, this event is designed to be both a demonstration and a celebration, according to organizer Jodi L. Schneiderman.

"It would be an incredible symbolic gesture for the community to come out on Jan. 31 and walk not only to support our American hero, Martin Luther King Jr., but also to support the students of color who have chosen the North Country as the place to pursue their higher education," said Schneiderman.

All are welcome to bundle up and join in this celebration. The marade route will take participants on a walk that is slightly less than two miles, going downtown on sidewalks in the Village of Potsdam and through the streets of the SUNY Potsdam campus.

Banners will be available for participants to sign in the Barrington Student Union Lobby before they depart. Free parking is available in Lots 1 and 2.

Following the marade, all participants are welcome to attend a free reception in the Knowles Conference Center Lobby, from 4 to 5 p.m. There will be hot chocolate and cookies to enjoy. The reception will feature a keynote address, a reflective piece by student leaders and a spoken word performance. Guests will be invited to sign a pledge to complete "random acts of kindness" throughout the week.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day events at SUNY Potsdam are sponsored by the Center for Diversity, the Office of Career Planning, the Educational Opportunity Program, SOCA LOCA and the Black Student Alliance.

For more information about diversity at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/diversity.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $32 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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