Return to Press ReleasesSave the Date for the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at SIUEThe Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub would like to invite you to our 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration!Save the date: Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Meridian Ballroom 11:00am – 2:00pm In collaboration with partners on campus and in the community, The Kimmel Belonging and Engagement Hub hosts a luncheon 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). Tickets and Award submission links coming soon! We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker for the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is Donzaleigh Abernathy! Ms. Abernathy is the goddaughter of Dr. King, daughter of Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, and an award-winning actress and writer. She is a founding Trustee of the New Visions Foundation/Coalition for Engaged Education and a former Vice President of the Board and New Roads Schools. She was a Spokesperson for the CDC's HIV/AIDS Awareness Program and for Amnesty International. She currently volunteers for Juveniles in the Los Angeles County Justice System. This year's celebration theme is Let Us March On. This theme stems from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech “Our God is Marching On” that he delivered on March 25, 1965 on the steps of the State Capital Building at the conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery march. This 54-mile march had 25,000 participants protesting the racism and oppression that African Americans faced at the polls while exercising their constitutional right to vote. “… I want to say to the people of America and the nations of the world, that we are not about to turn around. We are on the move now… The only normalcy that we will settle for is the normalcy of brotherhood, the normalcy of true peace, the normalcy of justice.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For more information or to learn about sponsorship opportunities please contact Ashley Jones at MLKCelebration@siue.edu or 618-650-3179. Submitted: 07/08/24 Article By: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville |