MLK Celebration Friday, Feb. 28
Published: February 24, 2014
For the last 15 years, the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been held the Friday after the national holiday. That has changed this year, and for good reason.
The Winterim semester at Parkside was extended in 2013 and enrollment more than tripled. Even with close to 600 students now attending Winterim classes, a much smaller number of students are on campus during the time the ceremony was held since it began in 2000. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs wanted to ensure that more students and community members had the opportunity to attend the event and celebrate the life of Dr. King. In order to make that a reality, the event needed a new date.
This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will be held Friday, Feb. 28, from 11 a.m. to noon and also marks the conclusion of Black History Month. The celebration takes place in the Bedford Concert Hall inside the Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities. Plenty of free parking is available in lots B and C, on the west side of The Rita.
"We're excited about the change for this year's celebration," said Damian Evans, director of Parkside's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. "The celebration features an original poem by UW-Parkside student Britney Wood and a praise dance from alumna Helima Phelps."
The celebration begins at 11 a.m. with a timeline and video presentation. UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford will give a welcome at noon followed by UW-Parkside Choir and Jazz Ensemble concerts. The event concludes with a reception. Join us for this special celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month.