By BECKY FLETCHE
To commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr., Utah Valley State College will host the conference titled “Valuing Diversity in Our Communities” today.
The annual commemoration of the black civil rights leader will feature keynote speaker Jeanette Williams, president of the Salt Lake City branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and several workshops centered on the theme of valuing diversity.
The program plans to expand the Utah Valley community’s awareness through this on-going student culture education, said Chuck Foster of the UVSC Multi-Culture Center.
“Diversity is a fact of American life and always has been,” said Bill Cobb, UVSC assistant professor of history. “Considering how fragmented and violent this country is becoming, I think King’s message is more pertinent now than ever.”
The theme of the conference, “Valuing Diversity in Our Communities,” was selected to foster continuing cultural awareness, said Greg Ruiz of the Multi-Culture Center.
Workshops will cover topics such as, “Prejudice and Relationships,” “King and Crow: A Troublemaker’s Collision with Segregation and His Bearing on Contemporary America” and “African Americans in Utah: From the Beginning.” UVSC student government and the Multi-Culture Center cosponsor the commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Foster related that as long as there is the name Martin Luther King, Jr., UVSC will commemorate and disseminate King’s message.
The event concludes with lunch, during which the New Generation Gospel Singers will entertain.
UVSC’s commemoration is free to the public. The conference commences at 8 a.m. in the Student Center Ragan Theater Foyer. For more information call 222-8872.
