FIU hosts 21st Annual Breakfast to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

     Florida International University’s Office of Multicultural Programs and Services will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a two-week long celebration inspired by King’s life and work.
     The MLK Commemorative Celebration between Jan. 11 and Jan. 25 is one of the most anticipated annual FIU events on campus, with more than 3,000 people participating.
     One of the highlights will be the traditional MLK Commemorative Breakfast which will be held from 8 – 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 13, at the Graham Center Ballrooms at FIU’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus, located at 11200 SW 8^th St. in Southwest Miami-Dade County. This year’s theme is “Health Equity: A Lasting Legacy”.
     This year’s speaker will be Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, professor of clinical psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, faculty dean for Student Affairs and director of the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs. He received his M.D. from Cornell University. Poussaint received psychiatric training at UCLA.
     As the southern field director of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Jackson, Miss., from 1965 to 1967, Poussaint provided medical care to civil rights workers and aided in the desegregation of hospitals and health facilities throughout the South.  Poussaint is the author of several books including one which he co-authored with Bill Cosby, “Come On, People! On the Path from Victims to Victors”.  He also has authored more than 100 articles.
     The week’s festivities begin with an opening reception at The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum sponsored by the College of Architecture + the Arts at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus on Jan. 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. To further commemorate this milestone, the Frost will also offer five interactive exhibits from Jan. 10 – Jan. 29. The exhibits are free and open to the public.
     On Saturday, Jan. 14 at 8 a.m., the Center for Leadership & Service, the AARP, and Service for Peace will sponsor the MLK Day of Service with Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation at Goulds Park, located at 11350 SW 216 St. in Cutler Bay. Volunteer check-in will begin at 8 a.m. and the event will take place from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Volunteers will take part in several beautifications projects for the park and will begin working on the creation of a community garden which will be used by members of the Cutler Ridge community.
     Volunteers are asked to bring canned goods to the park to be collected and distributed to food pantries in the Cutler Ridge area. This effort is part of the MLK Nationwide food drive. The MLK Day of Service project is funded in part by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that strengthens communities through service. The event is free and open to the public.
     FIU will also participate in the MLK Parade on Monday, Jan. 16 at 8 a.m. in Liberty City.
     The MLK Youth Forum and Peace Walk, sponsored by the College of Engineering and Computing and the College of Arts & Sciences will take place in conjunction with local schools in Miami-Dade and Broward County on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 10 -12:30 p.m. at the Biscayne Bay Campus in the Wolfe University Ballroom. The keynote speaker will be FIU’s Assistant Director of Advancement, Alumni & Corporate Relations in the College of Business Raquel Wright.
     Wright won Miss Jamaica Universe in 2005 and represented Jamaica at the Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, Thailand. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and politics from Ithaca College and her master’s degree in higher education administration at FIU. She completed her master’s internship at Harvard University.
     For a full list of events please click here.
     For more event or ticket information, contact the Office of Multicultural Programs at 305-348-2436.

 Media Contact: Lissette Lanza at 305-348-2232.