UNG : Events To Honor Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr.

Oconee GA

11 January, 2022

10:36 AM

Description

Press release from University of North Georgia: Clark Leonard January 10, 2022 The University of North Georgia (UNG) will host multiple events this month to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An MLK Unity Breakfast is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 27 in room 3110 of the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building on UNG's Gainesville Campus, and an MLK Legacy Panel will be held virtually at noon Jan. 25. The panelists will be: Rev. Rose Johnson, executive director of the Newtown Florist Club in Gainesville, Georgia. The club promotes youth development and organizes for social, economic and environmental justice. Mardarius Thomas, UNG Master of Public Administration alumnus and owner of M3: The Corporate Coach. His group aims to "decrease the wealth gap by crafting accomplishment-based professional documents that increase our clients' employability levels." Desiderio Walker, a Moreland, Georgia, resident who is a junior pursuing a degree in sociology and serves as Black Student Union (BSU) president on the Dahlonega Campus. Additionally, showings of the movie "Selma" are scheduled for noon Jan. 20 in the Robinson Ballroom on the Gainesville Campus and 5 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Hoag ABC Rooms on the Dahlonega Campus. "We want to appreciate the historical context of Martin Luther King Jr.," Wade Manora Jr., director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), said. "But we also want to help inspire students to keep that legacy going forward." He was involved in multiple prominent events during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, the March on Washington in 1963, and the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 1965. King also received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. MSA is partnering with the Black Student Union on the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses to hold additional events. An MLK virtual trivia contest  is at noon Jan. 18, followed by a knowledge presentation about King at noon Jan. 19. Deborah Kakou, president of the BSU on the  Gainesville Campus, said the MLK events can make a vital impact on the UNG community. "It's important to continue to draw awareness and show why we're still celebrating him," Kakou said. Full information is available on UNG's MLK events webpage. This press release was produced by University of North Georgia. The views expressed here are the author's own.