MIAMI – Florida International University’s Office of Multicultural Programs and Services will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a month-long celebration inspired by King’s life and work.
The 23rd annual MLK Commemorative Celebration events will take place throughout January. More than 3,000 people are expected to participate.
One of the highlights will be the annual MLK Commemorative Breakfast, which will take place at 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 17 at the Graham Center Ballrooms at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC), located at 11200 SW 8th St. in Southwest Miami-Dade County.
The keynote speaker will be Clarence Jones, former political advisor, counsel and draft speech writer to King. Most famously, Jones assisted King in drafting his “I Have A Dream” speech, a landmark address that would trigger a worldwide movement for racial equality.
Jones’ work in the civil rights movement began early on and included notable moments in history. In April 1963, he drafted a settlement between the City of Birmingham and King to end demonstrations and desegregate department stores and public accommodations in the city. In 1964, Jones coordinated the legal defense for King and other leaders against the libel suits filed against them and The New York Times, a case that would become a key decision supporting freedom of the press. In 1971, at the request of New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, he negotiated the end to the historic Attica prison inmate rebellion.
For more on Jones, please click here.
For ticket information contact Barbara Douglas at (305) 348-2436 or stop by the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services in GC 216.
Other FIU MLK Commemorative Celebration events include:
- MLK@The Frost is a series of exhibits, featuring artwork that embodies and illustrates the realities and ideals of the civil rights movement, that will take place from Jan. 8-31 at The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, located on the Maidique Campus. The opening reception for the exhibits will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 8 from 6-9 p.m. at the Frost. The exhibits and reception are free and open to the public.
- On Saturday, Jan. 18, FIU students will participate in the MLK Day of Service. About 400 students will work on several service projects in Miami Gardens including youth mentoring at Antioch Ministry Baptist Church, a beautification project at Hibiscus Elementary school, assisting the Miami Gardens Food Pantry with a food drive and creating a butterfly garden at Cloverleaf Park. The service projects will take place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Students will depart at 7:45 a.m. from both MMC and the Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC). Advance online registration is required. Go to leadserve.fiu.eduto register.
- The FIU Alumni Association and College of Architecture + The Arts are sponsoring “I Have A Dream,” a musical production of TheatreSouth Atlanta, Inc. on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 2 and 6 p.m. in the Graham Center Ballrooms at MMC. Actors will perform scenes that depict the life and times of Martin Luther King Jr. For reservations and information about ticket costs please call (305) 924-3003 or (919) 337-5431.
- On Monday, Jan. 20, FIU students, faculty, and staff will participate in the MLK Parade in Liberty City. The parade will take place along Northwest 54th Street, from Northwest 10th to 32nd Avenue starting at 8 a.m.
- The College of Engineering & Computing is hosting a reception, “MLK Evening with Engineers” on Tuesday, Jan. 21 from 6-8 p.m. in room 2300 of the FIU Engineering Campus, 10555 West Flagler St. This event is free and open to the public.
- The Youth Forum and Peace Walk will take place in conjunction with local schools in Miami-Dade County and Broward County on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. in the Wolfe University Center Ballroom at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus. The keynote speaker will be Fedrick Ingram, president of the Miami-Dade Teachers Union. Ingram is the union’s first African-American president and a former Miami-Dade Teacher of the Year. This event is free to attend.
- MLK Movie Night: “42 – The Jackie Robinson Story” will take place on Friday, Jan. 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. in Room 140 of the Graham Center at MMC. The movie is free and open to the public.
- The MLK Law Lecture “Race and Justice – 50 years after the Civil Rights Act” by FIU Law Professor Edilberto Roman will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Room 150 of the Graham Center. The lecture is free and open to the public.
For more on FIU’s MLK Commemorative Celebration, please click here.
For more event or ticket information, contact the Office of Multicultural Programs at 305-348-2436.
