VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day now through Jan. 22. See the many ways you can participate.
Join the MLK 100 Club
Through Jan. 19
Community groups are invited to participate in the MLK 100 Club challenge by committing to collect 100 or more school supplies for the Evergreen and Vancouver school districts. Suggested items include notebooks, notecards, pencils, backpacks, coats, socks and other school-related supplies. All organizations that meet the 100-item mark will be recognized at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Donations can be dropped off at the Student Diversity Center in the Firstenburg Student Commons or at the event. To pledge your participation, contact Amanda Shannahan at amanda.shannahan@vancouver.wsu.edu.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Jan. 19
Firstenburg Student Commons
“Educational Justice: Creating Awareness and Challenging Inequities Within Our School Systems” is the theme for 91ԹϺ’s 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Guests will enjoy music, children’s activities, interactive workshops and a keynote speaker.
The event will kick off at 9 a.m. with a musical performance of the Black National Anthem “Lift Every Voice” by Trenelle Doyle, a 91ԹϺ student.
91ԹϺ faculty and staff will offer four interactive workshops focused on educational justice from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Topics include creating allies in the classroom, community organizing for educational justice, racial equity in schools and increasing access to higher education.
During a provided lunch at 11:30 a.m., Charlene Williams, senior director for school performance at Portland Public Schools, will discuss educational equity. With more than 15 years of school experience, Williams believes every child, regardless of gender, ethnicity or past educational experience, deserves guidance to advance along the education continuum. Williams has transformed overall academic performance at local area schools serving populations rich with cultural and linguistic diversity.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is free and open to the public. RSVP to . Kids under the age of 16 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Film screening, “Visions of Abolition”
Come to campus for a two-part film screening of the documentary “Visions of Abolition,” a critical exposé of mass incarceration, the war on drugs, and the connections between slavery, capitalism and the prison industrial complex. A facilitated discussion will follow each screening.
Part one, “Breaking Down the Prison Industrial Complex”
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Jan. 20
Dengerink Administration Building, Room 129
Weaving together the voices of women caught in the criminal justice system, “Breaking Down the Prison Industrial Complex” examines the racial and gender violence of the prison system.
Part two, “Abolition: Past, Present and Future”
3 – 4:15 p.m. Jan. 21
Dengerink Administration Building, Room 129
“Abolition: Past, Present and Future” documents the recent history of the prison abolition movement through the organizing efforts of Critical Resistance and explores the meaning of abolitionist politics.
Live streaming of WSU Pullman’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration with Angela Y. Davis
7 p.m. Jan 22
Firstenburg Student Commons
Come to campus for a live streaming of special guest Angela Y. Davis, distinguished professor emerita of history of consciousness and feminist studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Davis is an internationally known political activist, scholar and author.
ABOUT WSU VANCOUVER
91ԹϺ is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. in Vancouver, east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. Parking is free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19. On regular weekdays parking is available at meters and in the Blue Daily Pay lot for $3.
91ԹϺ is celebrating 25 years of creating access to higher education in Southwest Washington. For 25 years, students have chosen 91ԹϺ for its scenic campus, small classes, close personal attention, topnotch faculty, accessible location and reasonable costs. At 91ԹϺ, students gain much more than a degree—they gain a brighter future.
# # #
MEDIA CONTACTS
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@vancouver.wsu.edu
Bola Majekobaje, Student Diversity Office, 360-546-9568, majekoba@vancouver.wsu.edu