Martin Luther King, Jr.
The WCU community gathers annually to celebrate and commemorate the life and legacy
of Martin Luther King Jr. Our focus during the 2019 celebration is the concept of
community. Dr. King once said, 'We know that to bring justice, love, and friendship,
we must build strong communities that foster these things.' We encourage you to consider
these words and your role in building a strong community here at WCU and beyond.
The 2019 celebration launches with the annual Unity March and includes days of service, events
sponsored by student organizations, a keynote and workshops with the speaker and concludes
with a Poverty Simulation.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Aminata Cairo, the Lector of Inclusive Education at The Hague University of Applied
Sciences in The Netherlands, is our keynote speaker. In her applied anthropological
work with students and community organizations, she has continually strived to promote
inclusion at both the academic and the community level. She received the Martin Luther
King Jr. Humanitarian award at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2013 for
her efforts. Dr. Cairo is committed to use her academic work to empower those who
have been silenced, marginalized, or otherwise overlooked, and takes great effort
to include students in that process.
Celebration Events
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Women's March in Asheville - 11:00 am
Join the Queens of WCU, Alpha Phi Alpha, The Center for Community Engagement and Service
Learning, and the Department of Social Work and participate in the Women's March in
Asheville. The mission of Women’s March is to harness the political power of diverse
women and their communities to create transformative social change. Women’s March
is a women-led movement providing intersectional education on a diverse range of issues
and creating entry points for new grassroots activists & organizers to engage in their
local communities through trainings, outreach programs and events. Women’s March is
committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and building
inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect.
Monday, January 21, 2019
MLK Days of Service - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Make it a day on, not a day off--volunteer during one of Center for Community Engagement
and Service Learning's days of service. Interested students can sign up on Engage,
then show up for their project-- the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning
will take care of all the logistics! Available projects will be at a variety of service
sites, such as Catman2, the Cullowhee Community Garden, and more. Regiser Here
MLK Jr. Unity March - 12:00 - 2:00 pm
2017 Unity March
Meet at the Fountain
The march will unify community leaders, faculty, staff, and students. In efforts to
live out the ideals and values that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held and believed in.
The march will begin after a brief introduction that will highlight the history of
the march. The march will begin at the UC and stop at Scott, HFR, Walker and will
end behind the UC. This event will be a DegreePlus event and eligible for R&R credit.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Community Service - 12:00 - 5:00 pm UC Multipurpose Room
We hope you can join us in making hygiene bags for the homeless people in the surrounding
areas. We will also be making backpacks for 24 kids in an after-school program housed
at the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center. All are welcome.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Organized Labor in the United States - 5:30
- 7:00 pm Stillwell 244
Dr. Dwayne Tutt, the Associate Director for Institutional Research at WCU, will be
giving a lecture about the religious and economic ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Tutt has an interesting background in both economics and religious studies, which
creates unique dialogue. This event will be a DegreePlus event and eligible for R&R
credit.
Unity Program - 7:00 - 9:00 pm ICA Lounge
A collaborative effort among student organizations which will allow students to come
together in the full spirit of Dr. King's vision. We will continue making care packages
while supplies allow. We will also create dream boards and play Kahoot! of historical
trivia. This event will be a DegreePlus event and eligible for R&R credit.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Keynote Speaker Dr. Aminata Cairo - 7:00 - 9:00 pm Bardo Performing Arts Center
Dr. Aminata Cairo
Dr. Aminata Cairo will be giving a presentation called “Re-Defining Us in All of Our
Richness”. With the theme “Defining America,” Western Carolina University has taken
a bold step in creating a vision. Defining is an action verb. Awareness of inequalities
and accompanying challenging interactions grace our world on all levels and make their
way into our educational habitat. This begins by actively defining embracing and working
on who we want to be.
Dr. Aminata Cairo will take us on an explorative journey inspiring us to action. There
will be a meet and greet with Dr. Cairo with after the speech. This event will be
a DegreePlus event and eligible for R&R credit
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Inclusivity Training Toolkit with Dr. Cairo
Imagine a world in which you are able to comfortably deal with the diversity of the
many humans you are meant to encounter and inspire. How do you do that? Whether in
a leadership position, or member of a working team, the world is looking for people
who can engage and create change. Aminata will take you on an experiential (and experimental)
journey to give you some hands-on tools to address some of the human interactions
that might be difficult at times. Come open to experience and learn something different.
In order to make it in your career you need more than intellectual capacities, you
need to be able to connect with and relate to others as well. This event will be a
DegreePlus event and eligible for R&R credit.
Faculty and Staff Session 9:00 am – 10:30 am Register to Participate
Student Session 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Register to Participate
Location: Raleigh Room
Poverty Simulation - 4:00 - 7:00 pm UC Grandroom
Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. Unless you have experienced
poverty, it's difficult to truly understand. The Poverty Stimulation bridges that
gap from misconception to understanding.
This simulation is an interactive, immersion experience that sensitizes participants
to the realities of poverty. This event will be a DegreePlus event and eligible for
R&R credit.
Register to Participate
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Students at recent Tuck River Clean Up
MLK Days of Service - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Make it a day on, not a day off and volunteer your time. Interested students can sign
up on Engage, then show up for their project-- the Center for Community Engagement
and Service Learning will take care of all the logistics! Available projects will
be at a variety of service sites, such as Catman2, the Cullowhee Community Garden,
and more.
Register Here
