MLK Center Presents Black History Month Programming in February
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 3, 2020) — The University of Kentucky Martin Luther King (MLK) Center will commemorate Black History Month with a series of events and learning opportunities for the UK community.
These events are part of an ongoing, yearlong commemoration of 70 years of integration on the UK campus, sponsored by UK’s Office for Institutional Diversity.
"The time is always right to commemorate these individuals, but it’s also important to set aside a particular time to reflect and prepare for the days ahead," said Sonja Feist-Price, UK's vice president for institutional diversity in her blog. "I’m excited to participate in several of the events the university will hold throughout the coming days for Black History Month. I’d also like to thank every single member of our community who has contributed to making these events possible. Your work is noticed, appreciated and valued."
On Feb. 25, the center will present its annual Black History Month speaker, Erin Gilliam. Gilliam is an assistant professor of history at Kentucky State University where she specializes in African American education history and the history of race relations in the Southern U.S. Her talk will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Gatton Student Center ballroom.
At noon Wednesday, Feb. 26, the center will host a Lunch & Learn with Shauna Morgan at the MLK Center. Morgan is director of equity and inclusion initiatives for UK's Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CELT). Morgan comes to UK from Howard University where her creative and scholarly work is focused on the African diaspora, particularly representations of womanhood, neo-anticolonialism in 21st century literature and global intersections of black cultural productions.
Other notable events include:
- This Thursday, the center will host UK's inaugural Men of Color Symposium on campus, which aims to promote self-awareness, unity, academic motivation and the importance of men of color in leadership positions. The center is hosting this in collaboration with the UK Office for Institutional Diversity and the Office of Student and Academic Life. Registration for this symposium is now full.
- At noon Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Social Justice Book Club will discuss "Freedom is a Constant Struggle" by Angela Y. Davis at the MLK Center.
- At noon, Wednesday, Feb. 12, the center will host a Lunch & Learn talk with Chris Mashburn at the MLK Center.
- As part of the center's Wellness Wednesdays, the center will host Dr. James Hall on Feb. 19 at the MLK Center for a presentation titled "Know Your Health, Know Your Wealth."
- At 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, Black History Month Trivia will take place at the MLK Center.
For more information, including a full list of events and programming at the MLK Center, visit www.uky.edu/mlkc/spring-2020-mlk-diversity-program-calendar
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.