Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Day Events



From Widener University Office of the President


*Please note the change of the location of the 8:00 a.m. kick-off for the MLK Day of Service.
The Chester-Upland School District, in collaboration with the MLK Commemorative Committee of Chester & Vicinity, announces that the host location for the MLK Day of Service activities scheduled for January 19, 2015 at Chester-Upland School District (CUSD) schools has been changed from Chester High School to the S.T.E.M. Academy at Showalter (1100 W. 10th Street, Chester) due to emergency repairs of the school’s heating system.

Event timing and event inclusions will remain the same as scheduled.

To honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Widener University community is invited to participate in events on campus and in the community. 

For this year’s event, the Martin Luther King Commemorative Committee of Chester & Vicinity has partnered with the Chester-Upland School District (CUSD). The CUSD will have all six of their schools serve as “volunteer hubs” from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Monday, January 19th. Volunteer assignments are limited and will be coordinated on a first come, first serve basis. Pre-registration is mandatory and questions about volunteer assignments should be directed to: aubrey.proud@crozer.org. Volunteers will first report directly to Chester High School, located at 239 W. 9th St, between 8:00-8:30 a.m. for a brief kickoff event prior to their volunteer assignment. 

The 2015 MLK Day of Service will include fun activities for all ages including a mural arts project, assembling care packages for social service providers in Delaware County, an essay and poster contest, arts & crafts, educational sessions, lunch, and lots of community spirit. In addition, the School of Nursing will offer health and wellness clinics for residents in the community at Chester High School. 

Following the morning schedule, the day of service activities will move to the Crozer-Chester Medical Center at 1:00 p.m. for the annual wreath-laying at Old Main where Dr. King studied at the Crozer Theological Seminary. The off-campus activities will conclude with an event at the Clark Auditorium at 2:00 p.m. on the Crozer campus featuring a presentation by Reverend Dr. Willie E. Robinson of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Twin Oaks, Pa. This event is open to the public. 

On campus, the Office for Community Engagement and Diversity Initiatives and the Multicultural Student Affairs Office will co-sponsor an event that will provide an opportunity for participants to share their thoughts and feelings regarding the racial tensions that have dominated the public discourse in the local and national community. All members of the Widener community are welcome to participate in a courageous conversation moderated by Dr. Sydney Howe-Barksdale from the School of Law (Delaware Campus) and Dr. Nancy Blank, Chair of the Criminal Justice Department where we will engage and reflect with each other to deepen our knowledge, understanding of, and appreciation for building an inclusive community. The event will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the Webb Room and light refreshments will be served. 

During the evening, all are invited to participate in Widener’s annual commemoration of Dr. King’s life sponsored by the Black Student Union at 6:30 p.m. in Alumni Auditorium.

For inquiries regarding the off-campus events, please contact Ellen Madison, Office for Community Engagement at: (610) 499-4549. For information regarding the commemorative evening event, contact Michelle Davis, Director of Multicultural Student Affairs at: (610) 499-4488. 

It is my hope that you will participate in the planned events which offer us the opportunity to pause and reflect on Dr. King’s contributions to our society. As always, I look forward to celebrating Dr. King’s legacy with the Widener community.

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