As Martin Luther King, Jr. Day approaches, BYU and the surrounding community prepare to honor it with marches, performances and speeches.
BYU will commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with service activities on Jan. 21. Registration is 8 a.m. in the Wilkinson Student Center, followed by a devotional at 9 a.m. Service ends at 1 p.m. That same day, BYU will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington with a candlelight walk at 5:30 p.m. Immediately after, Cathy Stokes will speak in the Wilkinson Student Center ballroom from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the speech writer for 'I Have A Dream,' will speak at 10 a.m. at UVU in the Sorensen Student Center's Grande Ballroom on Jan. 24. Parking and admission are free. Other commemorative events at UVU run January 22–25.
The University of Utah will also hold a series of events starting Jan. 19 with the MLK Day of Service. There will be a light breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center, followed by community service projects until noon.
The U of U will hold its fifth Annual MLK Celebration Rally at 2 p.m. and Marade (march/parade) at 3 p.m. on Jan. 21. Jesse L. Jackson, a well-known civil rights activist and personal acquaintance of Martin Luther King, Jr., will speak at U of U's sold-out keynote lecture on Jan. 24.
Also in Salt Lake City, the NAACP will host an MLK Memorial Luncheon at noon on Jan. 21 in the Little America Hotel. Tickets can be reserved by calling (801) 250.5088 or emailing jdwnaacp@att.net.
The Salt Lake Community College will hold a lecture called 'Conversations on Social Issues: The New Racism' on Jan. 23 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. Refreshments will be served.
Also included in Salt Lake Community College's list of events is a public reading of 'The Meeting,' a panel discussion and reception on Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at First Unitarian Church, 569 S. 1300 East in Salt Lake City.