King's legacy celebrated

Black History Week is Feb. 2-6

 

Trine University will enhance its celebration of the unique human rights legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King during Black History Week Feb. 2-6.

A Monday kickoff bash will begin at 7:45 a.m. in the University Center mall. Hot cocoa and bookmarks with the week’s schedule will be provided to those attending. Lunch activities from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in front of Whitney Commons will include hand massages for students, an African-American quilt display, and a demonstration by Tony King. A Soul Food Fest will provide African-American cuisine during lunch and again during dinner from 5-7 p.m. in Whitney Commons. The fest is open to the public at a cost of $6.45 for lunch and $8 for dinner. Chris Worth will provide live music during dinner.

Tuesday will bring open mic night and poetry readings in Fabiani Theatre from 5-7 p.m.

On Wednesday, an African-American trivia contest with prizes will take place in the University Center mall, while comedian Tracey Ashley will entertain in Fabiani Theatre at 8 p.m. The Multicultural Student Organization-sponsored Wacky Wednesday, with peach cobbler, will follow in the mall at 9 p.m.

Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” video will play in the mall from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday, and “The Fighting Temptations” will play during Movie Night in Fabiani Theatre at 8 p.m.

On Friday, students can have their hair braided from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the mall area, followed by the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration in Fabiani Theatre that evening.

Throughout the week, African-American books and art will be on display in Sponsel Library, while jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and hip-hop music will play throughout the mall and Whitney Commons. The Human Race Machine will provide an interactive experience in the mall. Participants can enter the machine and designate a race, and watch on a computer screen as their faces change to take on features of that ethnicity.

On Friday at 7 p.m. in the University Center’s Fabiani Theatre, the week of activities will wrap up with keynote speaker Kenneth Charles Christmon, associate vice chancellor for diversity and multicultural affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW), who will speak about his work to expand college access, develop diverse enrollment and provide leadership for initiatives promoting racial diversity.

In addition to Christmon’s powerful message, the evening will spotlight the Voices of Unity Youth Choir, under the direction of Marshall White. The group will entertain with an energetic, passionate repertoire of music, including pieces from the gospel, contemporary Christian, inspirational, hip-hop, jazz, and blues genres. Made up 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.

Trine students will also participate in the presentation.

The celebration of unity will conclude with refreshments and soft drinks. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Brown at 665.4173 or Deborah McHenry at 260.665.4509.