FIU commemorates Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy


Florida International University’s Office of Multicultural Programs and Services will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a weeklong celebration. In addition, a Frost Art Museum exhibit coordinated by professor Kalai Mathee will stage an exhibit inspired by King’s life and work.

This year’s theme is “Martin Luther King Jr.: Worlds Ahead”. The MLK Commemorative Celebration is one of the most anticipated annual FIU events, with more than 3,000 people participating during five days of events.

Photo credit: Pan-African News Wire Photo File's photostream.

One of the highlights will be the traditional MLK commemorative breakfast, which will be held from 8-10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 14, at the Graham University Center Ballrooms at Modesto Maidique Campus (11200 S.W. 8th St). The event is sold out.

The breakfast’s keynote speaker will be Patricia Russell-McCloud, who will address this year’s theme, “Martin Luther King Jr.: Worlds Ahead”. Michael Biamonte, FIU Alumnus and Miami Heat announcer will serve as the master of ceremony. Russell-McCloud has more than 20 years on the lecture circuit, and has an engaging, highly substantive and well-researched style. For more on McCloud, please click here.

Proceeds from the event go toward the MLK Scholarships. This year, FIU freshmen had the opportunity to submit an essay with King serving as the inspiration, and compete for four prizes. Through the Target Campus Grant, four students will receive $1,000 each. In addition, three students will receive a meal award from ARAMARK, and a book scholarship from University Bookstore.

The Frost Art Museum will host an opening reception on Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 6-9 p.m., to present a series of exhibits including “MLK Legacy,” portraits that walk patrons through major events in King’s life that culminate into a short video presentation by assistant professor Jacek Kolasinski; “Wall of Hope,” the winning thematic essays written by high school students who have matriculated at FIU; and “Wall of Fame,” which highlights successful FIU Alumni of color.

The Frost exhibit runs through Jan. 30. For more information, please click here.

The MLK celebration continues on Thursday, Jan. 13, from 5-7 p.m. with an awards reception at the Frost. The event is by invitation only.

On Saturday, Jan. 15, volunteers, including FIU students, will gather for a day of service. The MLK Day of Service will include about 250 student volunteers, Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department employees, Service for Peace members and the FIU Student Alumni Association members on a beautification project at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, 2166 N.W. 62 Ave. in Miami. Students will be working at the park from around 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Also, FIU will participate in the 34th Annual MLK Parade on Monday, Jan. 17, in Liberty City. FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg and other FIU leaders will lead the university’s contingent. The FIU Marching Band, ROTC Color Guard, cheerleaders, Dazzlers, Roary and some student-athletes, along with students from various Greek organizations and clubs, will participate as well.

The FIU College of Architecture + the Arts will sponsor a movie night on Tuesday, Jan. 18 from 7-10:30 p.m. featuring Loners Not Losers, an FIU-produced tribute to the victims and families of the Virginia Tech Massacre. Also showing will be The Right to Remain…Tupac Shakur, a film about the life of the controversial rap and hip-hop artist. The event will be free and open to the public.

The celebration concludes on Wednesday, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., when the Biscayne Bay Campus will host the MLK Youth Forum and Peace Walk at the Wolfe University Center Ballroom, 3000 N.E. 151st St. in North Miami. More than 200 students from several Miami-Dade County Public Schools will attend the event. The keynote speaker, Ephren W. Taylor, II, is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and CEO of two publicly traded companies, one of which is recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the “Top 100 Socially Conscious Corporations in the United States”.

The sponsors for this year’s MLK Commemorative Celebration include GEICO, University Credit Union, Baptist Health South of Florida, FIU Business Services, Barnes & Noble at FIU, Student Government Association, Graham Center, Target and ARAMARK.

For more event or ticket information, contact the Office of Multicultural Programs at 305-348-2436.

Media Contact: Jean-Paul Renaud at 305-348-2716.

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