Monday, Jan. 14
| 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Willamette University Honors Dr. King , Putnam University Center Information available about the week’s events. Pickup tickets for Friday evening’s event and celebrate with birthday cake. |
| 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 5–7 p.m | Willamette University Honors Dr. King , Goudy Dining Commons Information available about the week’s events. Pickup tickets for Friday evening’s event and celebrate with birthday cake. |
| 1–5 p.m. | Willamette University Pledge (through Monday, Jan. 21), Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Roger’s Music Gallery Sign the Willamette Pledge and celebrate Willamette’s commitment to the belief that all individuals are valued and that every student, faculty and staff member contributes to the diversity of our campus community.
Take action by taking the Pledge Walk: an exercise in self-reflection giving name to everyday privileges that are all around us, and the opportunity to think about those we hold. Groups and classes can reserve weekend or evening times by emailing rosal@willamette.edu. |
| All Day | MLK Food Drive: Spotlight on Hunger in Salem (through Monday, Jan. 21), On Campus Currently a record high 8,101 families each month are turning to the Marion Polk Food Share. This translates to 11,500 children in our community that don’t have enough to eat. You can make a difference. Bring a donation to one of several collection barrels around campus. |
Wednesday, Jan. 16
| 7:30 p.m. | “Harvest of Empire”, Ford Theater A documentary based on the ground-breaking book by award-winning journalist Juan González, “Harvest of Empire” takes an unflinching look at the role that U.S. economic and military interests played in triggering an unprecedented wave of migration that is transforming our nation’s cultural and economic landscape. From the wars for territorial expansion that gave the U.S. control of Puerto Rico, Cuba and more than half of Mexico, to the covert operations that imposed oppressive military regimes in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, “Harvest of Empire” unveils a moving human story that is largely unknown to the great majority of citizens in the U.S. A rare and powerful glimpse into the enormous sacrifices and rarely-noted triumphs of our nation’s growing Latino community. |
Thursday, Jan. 17
| 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | University Convocation: “Julian Bond: Reflections on the Civil Rights Movement”, Cone Chapel, Waller Hall Come learn about this year’s MLK speaker through documentary film and discussion. |
| 6 p.m. | Willamette Academy: Dreaming Through Poetry, Ike Box Café, 299 Cottage St. NE Features Willamette Academy students as they explore the dreams and aspirations of different people since Dr. King’s famous speech. |
Friday, Jan. 18
| 4–6 p.m. | President’s Book Club: “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, Putnam University Center, Alumni Lounge The President’s Book Club is open to all. The book is free for staff, faculty and students attending this event. Register and pick up your book at the WU Bookstore. Additional copies can be purchased at the WU Store. “Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells — taken without her knowledge — became one of the most important tools in medicine. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave ...” Sponsored by the President’s Office. Registration required. |
| 7:30 p.m. | Julian Bond, Civil Rights Activist, Smith Auditorium  Beginning at Morehouse College as a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to his role as former chairperson of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Julian Bond has been an active participant and leader in the movements for civil rights, economic justice, and peace and an aggressive spokesperson for the disinherited.As an activist who has faced jail for his convictions, as a veteran of more than 20 years of service in the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate; as the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center and as a writer, teacher and lecturer, Bond has been on the cutting edge of social change. Read Julian Bond's biography. Doors open at 7 p.m. University Community: First ticket free, additional tickets $5 each. Putnam University Center beginning Jan. 14. WU ID required. General Public: $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Also available at 503-581-2004 or SalemMulticultural.org. (limited tickets available) Proceeds benefit the World Beat Festival. |
Saturday, Jan. 19
| 9 a.m. | 6th Annual MLK Celebration Stride Toward Freedom 5K Run/1 Mile Walk, Brown Field Come celebrate the life and spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this annual fundraiser! Entry fee includes T-shirt and post-race snacks. Proceeds to benefit the Salem Multicultural Institute. Cost: $15 pre-register, $20 day of race Registration available at the Putnam University Information Desk, or online through Active.com. Day of race registration begins at 8 a.m. |
Monday, Jan. 21
| All Day | Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday Events |
| 12:15–1:15 p.m. | Luncheon, Putnam University Center, Cat Cavern Attendance at afternoon events required to attend luncheon. Open to Willamette University community only. Space is limited and registration is required. We cannot accommodate all event attendees and reservations are limited. Registration required. |
| 1:15–5 p.m. | Into the Streets: Community Service Day, Putnam University Center, Cat Cavern In 1994 President Clinton signed the Dr. King National Holiday and Service Act, establishing the King holiday as a national day of service. Into the Streets is a program that provides multiple service opportunities throughout Salem in an effort for members of the Willamette Community to actively serve together and learn through action. Past service sites have included Family Building Blocks, the Humane Society, Sesna Community Garden, HOME Youth Shelter, Mission Mill, Willamette Academy and Willamette Valley Hospice.
For questions and sign up, email Kris Katkus at kkatkus@willamette.edu. Co-sponsored by WU’s Office of Community Outreach Programs Registration required. |
| 1:15–5 p.m. | The Unrealized Dreams of Those Living in Poverty, Cone Field House, Sparks Athletic Center Could you survive a month in poverty? 46.2 million Americans, 16.4 million of whom are children under the age of 18, live in poverty every day. Many more have incomes above the poverty line, but their incomes are still low enough to qualify for programs like Food Stamps and Medicaid. The recent economic downturn has seen unemployment rates rise and the use of emergency food pantries increase. It is difficult for those of us who have enough to truly understand the situations that families living in poverty experience every day – the decisions they have to make, and the fears and frustrations they feel. That is why we are inviting you to walk a mile in the shoes of those facing poverty by participating in the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS). The CAPS provides participants with the opportunity to assume the role of a low-income family member living on a limited budget. The experience is divided into four 15-minute sessions, each of which represents one week in which you must provide for your family and maintain your home. As one participant commented, “This poverty simulation dramatically demonstrates how much time and energy many families have to give just to survive from day to day. It quickly dispels the myth “that people would do fine if they would only go out and get a job!” Registration required. |
| 1:30–4 p.m. | “The Game of Life” led by Cathy Busha, Ford Hall, Room 102 Do you ever feel like some people seem to move ahead in the Game of Life while you get left behind? Have you worked hard at the Game of Life to get where you are? What can we learn from one another about the Game of Life? Through a dynamic, hands-on experience that is played in teams, we will learn and discuss the concepts of privilege, oppression, power and responsibility. We will identify real-life examples and use data to support our discussion. We will then move our learning and discussion to action — what can we do individually and collectively in 2013 to help realize MLK’s Dream? A native of Lancaster, Penn., Cathy Busha is a faculty member with Chemeketa Community College’s Human Services program. The focus of her work includes multi-issue community organizing, particularly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people of color, youth and immigrants. She worked professionally in the LGBT movement for 15 years, including positions at LGBT Community Centers in Tucson, Denver, and Boulder and as the first director of LGBT Affairs at The University of Arizona. Registration required. |
| 1:30 or 3 p.m. | “Community 101”, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center An exercise in self-reflection and post discussion giving name to everyday privileges that are all around us, and the opportunity to dialog how this impact one’s own identity and understanding of others.
Registration required. |
| 7–8 p.m. | Expression of Justice: Open Mic, Bistro, Putnam University Center Willamette community voices break the silence as they reflect on experiences at Willamette and beyond through poetry, music and other creative expressions. |
Monday, Jan. 21
| 9–10 p.m. | Tunnel of Oppression (Preview Event), Montag Den A multi-media, multi-sensory exhibit that gives voice to sites and stories fighting the oppression and injustice facing our lives, community, and world right now. This year’s tunnel will give an opportunity to its participants to reflect on the voices of already existing groups that help fight the oppression and injustice we face in our every day lives. This year’s tunnel will help accomplish this by displaying issues of reproductive justice, food justice, and the Israel/Palestine conflict. |
Tuesday, Jan. 22–Thursday, Jan. 25
| Noon–2 p.m., 4–6 p.m., 7–9 p.m. | Tunnel of Oppression, Montag Den Contact 503-370-6265 for additional information. |
