Penn State Behrend to host Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, as part of MLK Day celebrations
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Penn State Behrend is marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday with a special guest.
The Office of Educational Equity and Diversity Programs will host a conversation with Philonise Floyd, who will discuss the legacy of his brother, George Floyd, who was killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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The conversation will be held in McGarvey Commons, Reed Union Building, 4701 College Drive in Harborcreek Township at noon.
Philonise Floyd will participate in a moderated Q&A with the presidents of the Association of Black Collegians, the Multi-Cultural Council and the Student Government Association.
"We are always interested in making our programs student-centered, so the conversation will be moderated by three students," said Andy Herrera, director of the Office of Educational Equity and Diversity Programs.
For Herrera, who put together the public program, bringing Philonise Floyd to campus is an opportunity to go beyond the classroom to help educate the campus community.
"I thought it was a tremendous opportunity because of the name recognition and what happened with George Floyd and afterward, so I thought students would be interested in hearing (Philonise Floyd's) story," Herrera said.
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While the conversation with Philonise Floyd will center around his brother's murder and the aftermath, the discussion will also touch on the Floyd brothers' childhood, Herrera said.
Herrera also believes commentary from Philonise Floyd comes at a good time.
"It’s a great time to pause and revisit the civil rights movement because there’s value in the historic learning opportunities in the movement," he said. "And then the value of the message itself, pausing and reflecting on Dr. King’s ideals about equality and justice, race relations.
"With that in mind, we always try to engage in a conversation with someone who can help us with that."
Herrera expects a modest crowd, both students and the public, to turn out and hear from Philonise Floyd and his fight as a social justice activist.
"We’re always so grateful and happy we can bring somebody that has national attention to Behrend," he said. "It’s a great opportunity for us ... for people to know we’re really making an effort to be relevant and make an impact on our community and bring people to our campus."
MLK Day events: Here's a list of events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Erie region
If you go:
What: Conversation with Philonise Floyd
When: Monday, Jan. 17, at noon
Where: McGarvey Commons, Reed Union Building, 4701 College Drive, Harborcreek Township
Admission: Free
Baylee DeMuth can be reached at 814-450-3425 or bdemuth@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @BayleeDeMuth.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: MLK Day: Philonise Floyd, George Floyd's brother, to visit Penn State Behrend
