By Staff
dick gregory with dr. martin luther king jr
Each year, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University collaborate to host a major celebration to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The theme of this year’s program is “On Common Ground: If Not Now, When?”
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, social activist, author and comedian, Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory will present the 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote speech at 7 pm in K.R. Williams Auditorium at Winston Salem State University. The event is free and open to the public.
Earlier in the evening, Wake Forest University will host an invitation-only banquet where students and faculty/staff from both Winston-Salem State and Wake Forest will receive the “ K.R. Williams Auditorium” award in recognition of their efforts toward improving social justice and building community.
Additional MLK Weekend Events
On Saturday, Jan. 17, Winston Salem State University will host the 2015 MLK Day of Service Read-In in the Donald J. Reaves Student Center from 9:30am to 12:30pm. The event is part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service and is cosponsored with Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, Girl Talk Triad Chapter and Hands-On Northwest N.C. The Read-In promotes King’s legacy of service, literacy and community empowerment to children ages 4-10. Registration is required through Chelii Broussard at broussardch@wssu.edu.
Also on Jan. 17, Old Salem Museums and Gardens in partnership with Wake Forest will host a discussion based on clips from the movie “Freedom Riders” in the James A. Gray Jr. Auditorium, Old Salem Visitor Center at 2pm. The discussion is part of the National Endowment for the Humanities to screen films from their “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” series. The film tells the terrifying and moving, story of when white and black students rode a bus into the Deep South to protest segregation and Jim Crow laws. The event is free and open to the public.
On Sunday, Jan. 18, Wake Forest will host the 10th Annual GospelFest at 3pm in Brendle Recital Hall, Scales Fine Arts Center. This year the Office of Multicultural Affairs will host Gospel recording artist Jonathan Nelson with special guests Alexis Spight, Big Redd and the Wake Forest University Gospel Choir.
