In celebration of the Jan. 15 anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth date, Belmont University will be holding its 13th annual series of Commemorative Programs over the course of the next several weeks. The university’s commitment to Martin Luther King Week through classroom and special events began in 1997 and continues to grow today with Belmont observing the MLK holiday with widely varied events. All of the events listed below are open to both the Belmont community and the general public at no charge unless otherwise noted. For additional information, visit Belmont’s MLK Web site at www.belmont.edu/mlk.
Mon., Jan. 19, 7 p.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Vigil
Video clips from the civil rights era will be shown before the group moves to other on-campus venues by candlelight.
Massey Performing Arts Center
Tues., Jan. 20, 9 a.m. – noon
Inauguration Viewing Party
Stop by to watch President-Elect Barack Obama take the Oath of Office and deliver his Inaugural Address.
Beaman A&B
Wed., Jan. 21, 10 a.m.
The Origins of Nonviolence in the African American Freedom Struggle
A lecture presented by Dr. Dennis Dickerson from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Dickerson specializes in American labor history, the history of the U.S. civil rights movement and African American religious history.
Vince Gill Room (located in Curb Event Center)
Wed., Jan. 21, 7 p.m.
5th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Worship Service
Brandon Maxwell will serve as the leader of this student-led worship service featuring Belmont groups. Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil will be the speaker.
Massey Performing Arts Center
Thurs., Jan. 22, 5 p.m.
Race and Religion in Nashville: A Panel Discussion moderated by Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil
A panel discussion about the challenges for United churches in Nashville. Area ministers will share their experiences with diversity in their churches and their work with the community at large.
Multimedia Hall (located in the Bunch Library)
Fri., Jan. 23, 10 a.m.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Address by Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil
Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil is a visionary leader with extensive experience in the field of racial and ethnic reconciliation, and she has traveled the world for more than 20 years speaking at colleges, universities, conferences and churches. For 13 years, she served as the regional coordinator of multiethnic training for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a national evangelical organization that supports Christian outreach to students on college campuses. Rev. Dr. Salter McNeil also founded Overflow Ministries, Inc. in 1995, which is a faith-based, non-profit organization devoted to the ministry of racial and ethnic reconciliation. She is the founder and president of Salter McNeil & Associates, LLC, which is a Chicago-based organization created to help leaders and organizations initiate the reconciliation process and transform their institutional environments into communities of racial healing and justice.
Massey Performing Arts Center
Fri., Jan. 30, 10 a.m.
“I Am the Dream”
A play directed by Belmont theatre graduate Crystal Jones
Harton Recital Hall (located in Massey Performing Arts Center)
In addition to the events open to the public, Belmont will be offering several opportunities exclusively for its campus population, including the university’s fifth annual field trip to significant Civil Rights venues. This year, students, faculty and staff will be able to journey to Cincinnati on Sat., Jan. 31., where they will tour the United Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the “Race: Are we so different?” traveling exhibit at the Cincinnati History Museum.
