Black history celebrated

Trine's MLK program in 20th year

 

Trine University will celebrate Black History Month with a week of activities and events, including its 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, in its University Center Feb. 15-19, sponsored by the Office of Student Life and the Office of Student Success and Retention.

 

Monday, Feb. 15 will feature a Soul Food Fest in Whitney Commons Café beginning at 5 p.m. The public is invited to join the Trine community for a generous buffet of traditional recipes created by African Americans. Potato and corn salad, mustard greens, ham bone, Shelby County corn on a stick, grits and hoppin’ john, okra gumbo, mac and cheese, Mississippi catfish fry and hush puppies, country ribs, Creole chicken and banana bread pudding with rum sauce will be served.

 

Wednesday, Feb. 17 will be an all-day event for students, with grits, corn bread, fried chicken and mac and cheese served in the café. A mid-afternoon break from 3-4 p.m. will offer peach cobbler and flavored coffee, while the usual Wacky Wednesday evening event will take place at 8 p.m. and feature Southern sweet treats.

 

During the week, students will enjoy hair braiding, black history trivia quizzes, hand massages and entertainment by Chris Worth and a step group from North Side High School in Fort Wayne. For more information on any of these events, contact the Office of Student Life at 260.665.4168.

 

Friday, Feb. 19 will bring the 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration to Fabiani Theatre at 7 p.m. The free program is open to the public and will celebrate Dr. King and his message with a guest speaker, presentations by Trine students and a stirring performance by the Voices of Unity Youth Choir from Fort Wayne, Ind.

 

Guest speaker Dr. Crystal B. Thomas is founder and senior pastor of New Zion Tabernacle Church of Fort Wayne and founder of Q.U.E.S.T. (quietness, unity, excellence, servanthood, teachable), a retreat for leaders. Considered a master preacher/teacher by many, her messages transcend cultural and denominational barriers. Her weekly television ministry has become a favorite to thousands of viewers across the Midwest.

 

She is chancellor of Fort Wayne Theological Seminary and Bible College and principal of Levan R. Scott Academy for Fort Wayne Community Schools. She earned a doctor of divinity at Christian University of Indianapolis and a doctor of theology at Fort Wayne Theological Seminary and Bible College.

 

The Voices of Unity Youth Choir, under the direction of Marshall White, will entertain with an energetic, passionate repertoire of gospel, contemporary Christian, inspirational, hip-hop, jazz and blues music. Comprised of Fort Wayne-area children ranging in age from 8-20, the choir belongs to Fort Wayne’s Unity Performing Arts Foundation, distinguished as the first organization of its kind in Indiana to have an artistic focus on the soulful arts.

 

The celebration of unity will conclude with refreshments and soft drinks. For more information about the Martin Luther King Jr. program, contact Deborah McHenry at 260.665.4509.