2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration Week
01/17/2020
BATON ROUGE – The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration highlights and memorializes the work, accomplishments, and legacy of one of the greatest
Civil Rights and African American leaders in modern history. Organized by the MLK
Committee in partnership with the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the celebration
includes a series of events to engage the LSU and greater Baton Rouge community in
honor of King’s ideals of social justice, non-violence, education, and service.
Monday, Jan. 20
More than 300 volunteers from LSU will participate in the MLK Day of Service. Volunteers
will have the opportunity to participate at eight sites, including the Knock Knock
Children’s Museum, the LSU Rural Life Museum, and the Baton Rouge Zoo. A full list
of volunteer locations will be provided to registered attendees. Online registration
is required to participate.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
Community members are invited to attend the MLK Commemorative Program from 5 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m. in the LSU Student Union. This year’s keynote will be Yusef Salaam. Salaam
was among five teens from Harlem, known as the “Central Park Five,” who were tried
and convicted in the Central Park Jogger Case. All five men were later exonerated
after DNA evidence was brought to light. Since his release more than 20 years ago,
Salaam has become a family man, father, poet, activist and inspirational speaker.
Wednesday, Jan. 22
The Performing Arts Night & Candlelight Vigil will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30
p.m. in the LSU Student Union Theater. The night will begin with the annual MLK Candlelight
Vigil, sponsored by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, or NPHC. The Performing Arts
Night showcase follows the vigil and will feature the amazing talents of LSU students
and students from around the area.
Thursday, Jan. 23
The Unity Celebration will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Club on Union Square
at LSU. The MLK Unity Celebration is a time-honored tradition joining together LSU,
Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College for a celebration and commitment
to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The guest speaker will be Patricia Smith,
former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. This event is invitation
only. For questions regarding an invitation please contact the LSU Office of Diversity.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs, a unit of the Office of Diversity, creates an environment at LSU that embraces individual difference, advocates for social justice and cultivates a campus atmosphere of inclusion.
For more information, please visit www.lsu.edu/MLK.
Contact Wes Heath
Office of Multicultural Affairs
225-578-4339
weheath@lsu.edu
or
Ernie Ballard
LSU Media Relations
225-578-5684
eballa1@lsu.edu