Return to Press Releases41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Save the Date!We at the Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub would like to invite you to our 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration! Save the date for Wednesday, January 17th, 2024. The event will be on SIUE's campus in the Meridian Ballroom from 11am – 2pm.In collaboration with partners on campus and in the community, this annual luncheon occurs in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Highlights of the luncheon include a keynote speaker, musical performances and the awarding of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards: SIUE Student Scholarship; Humanitarian Award(s); and Youth Essay, Poetry and Visual Arts Contest (for local youth). We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and this year's theme: We Are Called to be a Movement. Also, the title of Rev. Dr. Barber's book, this theme stems from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1968 Poor People's Campaign that was unfinished then revived by Rev. Dr. Barber in 2018. This campaign was originally part of the second phase of the civil rights movement led by Dr. King just before his assassination. Today it continues Dr. King's work in fighting systemic racism and demanding equity for poor communities in the United States. “We have moved from the era of civil rights to the era of human rights, an era where we are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society. We have been in a reform movement…But after Selma and the voting rights bill, we moved into a new era, which must be the era of revolution. We must recognize that we can't solve our problem now until there is a radical redistribution of economic and political power.” — Report to Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Staff (May 1967) Applications for the scholarship and awards will open on October 1st and close on December 21, 2023. Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to apply or nominate for the awards throughout the fall semester. Details for applications and nominations can be found on our website. Ticket sales to the event will begin on October 1st. Individual ticketing, Tables, and Sponsorship opportunities are available! Please check out our event page and website for more information. Look out for future announcements when the ticket link goes live! Contact the Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub at inclusion@siue.edu or 618-650-3180 with any questions. Link: http://www.siue.edu/diversity/the-hub/signature-programs-events/mlk/index.shtml Submitted: 09/25/23 Article By: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville |