Martin Luther KIng events this month

Jan. 14—Bucknell and Susquehanna universities will be holding special events this week and month on the dreams and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events will include guest speakers, learning, discussions, community engagement, film, and art.

At Bucknell, the events all relate to the theme of Legacies: Leaving a Path to Follow. At Susquehanna University, the ongoing theme of events is Justice and Belonging.

Bucknell University will honor the life and legacy of King during the University's MLK Week, Monday through Jan. 27.

"We gather to honor Dr. King — not simply as a dreamer — but as an organizer, a prophet and a leader within a vast movement that stood against racism, militarism and poverty and built toward justice, freedom and the beloved community," said the Rev. Kurt Nelson, director, religious and spiritual life and co-chair of Bucknell's MLK Week committee.

"We gather to wonder how each one of us will further that work and forge a path for others to follow," Nelson said.

Here are Bucknell University's planned events:

Ras J. Baraka — mayor of Newark, N.J., published author and educator — will headline the events during his free, public keynote address at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 in Trout Auditorium, Vaughan Literature Building. Baraka has been heralded as a thought leader for his work reducing crime in Newark — reporting it's lowest rate in five decades — tackling the city's housing crisis and developing strategies to eliminate income inequality.

Public events on Jan. 17 begin at noon at the Elaine Laongone Center's Walls Lounge, where participants will discuss Amiri Baraka's legacy and impact on the Black Arts Movement. Baraka, father of Ras J. Baraka, was an American writer, poet and playwright. Bucknell Visiting Professor William Palmer, English — literary studies; Professor Jaye Austin Williams, critical Black studies; and Professor Meenakshi Ponnuswami, English, will lead the discussion.

The ELC's Gallery Theater will be the site of a free, public showing of Nevline Nnaji's award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary "Reflections Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights" at 4 p.m. Jan. 20. The film explores Black women activists' experiences during the civil rights and women's liberation movements.

Rev. Karlos Nichols, Rooke Chapel gospel music fellow, will lead a community sing at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 21, in the chapel. Nichols will explore the intersections of singing and social justice — during the civil rights movement and beyond — in collaboration with the Bucknell University Choir and student a cappella ensembles. Singers of all ages and experience levels are welcome to join.

MLK Week events will close at 8 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Campus Theatre, 413 Market St., with a showing of Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Regular admission prices apply. "Wakanda Forever" is the sequel to 2018's "Black Panther," which grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide and broke numerous box-office records. It became the highest-grossing film directed by a Black filmmaker.

Amy Davis, Susquehanna University assistant director of inclusion and diversity, said planning for MLK activities is a yearlong process.

"Every year we have a speaker that comes in," Davis said. "This year we have Autumn Rose Miskweminanocsqua Williams, social activist and former Miss Native American USA, as keynote speaker at Susquehanna's Winter Convocation."

Miskweminanocsqua Williams will deliver the address focusing on the themes of justice and belonging at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 in Weber Chapel Auditorium. The speech is free and open to not only the campus community but also the local community at large, Davis noted.

Miskweminanocsqua Williams currently works as a motivational speaker, activist, and champion for Native American issues. She has served the Administration for Native Americans and confronted issues related to indigenous communities within the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Winter Convocation welcomes Susquehanna students back to campus for the spring semester and celebrates the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On Jan. 26, the university will hold Justice and Belonging, A Day of Teaching. University officials said a schedule will be available soon.

Susquehanna has been conducting the day of teaching since 2018. It's meant to cultivate brave spaces — those in which conflict or disagreement can emerge, but moments that can be treated as opportunities to share, actively listen and engage respectfully without harmful defenses. In accordance with the university's Statement on Diversity and Inclusiveness, sessions represent a wide range of human experiences and demonstrate the critical awareness "of the ways power and privilege influence practices, processes, and relationships," according to university officials.

Presentations for the event are chosen by an advisory committee and are intended to encourage collaborations between different disciplines and amongst faculty, staff, administrators and students, with the goal of offering sessions that appeal to the most individuals on campus.

Additional university-sponsored events celebrating King's pursuit of social justice include:

Day of Service, Friday, Jan. 27.

Interfaith Service, Thursday, Feb. 23.