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Influencing All
Areas, All Peoples
2005 Martin
Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
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We all have been impacted by Dr. King's
work, vision and mission, regardless of our race, color or creed. However,
often times only African-Americans seem able to connect with his achievements
and fully appreciate his vision and mission.
This year the College has chosen a most
unique way to accentuate the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr impacted
all America. In the spirit of academia, various academic schools will
hold workshop designed to help us better understand the impact Dr. King’s
work had on their respective disciplines.
This
approach will, hopefully, help us avoid marginalizing Dr. King's impact to
African-Americans (or even other minority populations) and understand his
significance in a broader context.
Schedule of Events
Business and Leadership
Monday, January 10th, at 10:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.
"
I Have A Dream: How Dr. King’s Vision Affected Business." This
presentation will highlight the ways in which Dr. King’s work has helped
shape our current business environment. Facilitators
will be Prof. Patty Wike, School of Business, and Leonárd Geddes, Multicultural
Student Services.
Religion
Tuesday, January 11th, at 3:30 p.m.
"Divided
at the 11:00 hour:
The Challenge and Charge of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for Christian
Churches" - This presentation hinges on Dr. King's rebuke
that the 11:00 hour on Sunday is the most divided time in our nation.
It will explore the context of his comment, what changes, if any, have
been made and what we can do to implement
Dr. King's vision. Dr. David Ratke, School of Religion,
will facilitate this session.
Sociology/Human & Community Services
Wednesday, January 12th, at 11:00 a.m.
"A Call to
Conscience: Our Role in Facilitating Change in the Community" – This
presentation will feature excerpts beyond the hallmark “I Have A Dream
Speech”, and will key in on service and economic issues, which Dr. King
addressed. Presenters will be
various representatives from local community service agencies; Prof. Charlotte
Williams, Human and Community Services Program Coordinator will
facilitate this session.
Education
Thursday, January 12th, at 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
"Dr. King’s Impact on
Education – Yesterday and Today" - This
presentation will examine the ways in which education in America has been
impacted by Dr. King’s work. Dr.
Helen Hall, School of Education, will facilitate this session.
Political Science
Friday, January 13th, at 3:00 p.m.
"The
Successful Struggle for Power: The Dream Begins to Materialize"
This presentation will begin with an introduction by Dr. Ashman, School
of Political Science, (Setting the Stage), followed by student presentations
(6) of 4 to 5 minutes each, as follows:
- Equal
Protection before 'Brown vs. the Board'
- 'Brown
vs. the Board' and the next decade
- Civil
Rights MOVEMENT: Role of Martin Luther King
- The
1964 Civil Rights Act: Its Social/Political Meaning
- Changes
over the past 40 years
- Martin
Luther King's Legacy to the US Political System
All presentations will be
held in the Belk Centrum!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
Convocation
January 17th, 10:00 a.m.
The annual convocation in
which we reflect upon and appreciate the life and legacy of Dr. King will be
held in the P.E. Monroe Auditorium.
Convocation Title:
“Something You Are & Something You’re Going to be: A Reflection on the
Impact of Dr. King"
Speaker:
Mr. James H. (Jim) Bolden, recently retired Memphis (TN) Police Director
 James H. Bolden, the
distinguished and retired Police Director of the Memphis Police Department
will speak at the annual Convocation. His speech will address and reflect on some of the tragedies
of the Civil Right Movement. He will focus on how he overcame adversity,
prejudice and discrimination by remembering an adage taught to him by his
grandmother:
"Something
You Are & Something You're Going to be"
He
will also reminisce about his days as a child, and then take us on a journey
that will illustrate the harsh conditions of surviving in the South.
Bolden will portray some of the hardships and prejudices he faced and
discuss the lessons he learned while achieving his goal of becoming a truly
remarkable leader in law enforcement.
Shortly
after Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis (TN), Bolden became one of the
first groups of Blacks to fully integrate the patrol cars within the Memphis
Police Department, a department that was known for its harsh oppression of
Blacks. Bolden rose from a young man, experiencing oppression at the hands of
the police, to his ultimate ascent to the top of the Memphis Police
Department.
After
joining the force in 1968, he founded the Afro-American Police Association
{June 1973}, which petitioned the federal government to get more Blacks hired
and promoted to supervisory positions within the police force, and worked
diligently to ensure that change occurred. His leadership has been
instrumental in transforming the Memphis Police Department from an example of
institutional racism to a force against it. He retired,
leaving the department as a decorated leader and more importantly, as one of
the most diverse law enforcement agencies in the nation.
Recently, Bolden was featured
in the PBS documentary and the renowned companion book to the documentary, "America
Beyond the Color Line." This
ground-breaking documentary was a lucid exchange of nearly 30
thought-provoking essays on the Black experience. The book is one long
conversation among African Americans, wondering aloud about the separation of
those who have and others who are still living in poverty.
The
dialogues also contemplated change. James H. Bolden, once a minority within
the Memphis Police Department, recalled the days when Blacks were not allowed
to work in certain areas of the city. When he joined the force of 2,000 in
1968, he was one of only 65 Black officers.
Today
Bolden travels around the country speaking to various groups about his life
experiences and enduring journeys, during the civil rights movement and how he
eventually triumphed, becoming the Director of Police Services for the City of
Memphis. In the documentary, he
also reflected on how the economic changes have positioned Blacks in every
aspect of the Memphis economic community.
The Annual Hickory Community
March, sponsored by the NAACP Youth chapter, will depart from P.E. Monroe
Auditorium immediately following the convocation.
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