Capital’s MLK Day of Learning returns with in-person events
Capital University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Learning will return in person Jan. 16 after two years of virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event pays homage to the civil rights leader with a day of activities focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and community service at Capital’s campus, 1 College and Main, Bexley. Admission is free.
The theme of the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Learning is “A New Day for All of Us.” The event features national speakers and showcases a commitment to community service on the part of the university’s students, faculty and administrators, Capital President Dave Kaufman said.
When Kaufman participated in previous virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Learning events, he said he was “taken aback by the level of engagement and how professionally the event was done."
“It was a day that inspired reflection, hope, and action,” he said in a news release.
The 2023 observance will kick off with a morning convocation with a keynote address by Zellie Imani, a nationally recognized educator and community organizer.
Imani is a math teacher in Patterson, N.J., and an organizer with the Black Lives Matter organization in Patterson. He is also a co-founder of the Black Liberation Collective, an organization that brings together students on college campuses across the country to promote diversity initiatives and political education.
After the convocation, a variety of workshops designed to promote conversions on civil rights topics will be held throughout the remainder of the morning and afternoon in classrooms across campus.
Also during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Learning, Capital will host several community service projects, including collecting bottled water and water filters to donate to the NAACP in Jackson, Miss. The effort is designed to combat failing water systems and provide clean drinking water to residents in southern states, according to the event’s website, capital.edu/mlk-day. Monetary donations also will be accepted.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Learning will include a voter registration drive. Voter registration and address-update forms will be available throughout campus, along with information about voting with a disability, voting with a felony record and other voter resources.
The event also will include a “Kids Korner” with activities for children ages 12 and younger, including a reading table with books that emphasize equality and other civil rights-related themes. There will be a Reflection Table where participants will be encouraged to think about how society would be different if the civil rights movement hadn’t happened.
@ThisWeekNews
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Capital’s MLK Day of Learning returns with in-person events
