MOORHEAD — The community is invited to Concordia College for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to reflect on and engage with King’s work and efforts toward civil rights on Monday, Jan. 15.
The theme will be “Communities in Action, Empowering the Dream,” and author Funmilola Fagbamila, whose viral poem “Black Girl Fly” achieved massive success online, will give the keynote address at 10:30 a.m.
The acclaimed Nigerian-American playwright’s “The Intersection: Woke Black Folk” has been performed all over the world, and her work has been featured on NPR, the BBC, Netflix, FOXtv, and the Guardian. Fagbamila is also a professor of Pan African Studies at California State University in Los Angeles.
Writer, actor, and comedian Chinedu Unaka will kick off the event early during a performance at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, in the Centrum at the Knutson Campus Center. Unaka started doing stand-up comedy while attending the University of California, Santa Barbara. For six years, he taught and entertained students with special education needs.
Monday’s events begin with concurrent breakout sessions from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., followed by Fagbamila’s address at 10:30 a.m. and a break for lunch at noon. A panel focusing on “Our Campus in Action” will run from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. in the Centrum, followed by another round of breakout sessions from 3 to 3:45 p.m. Dr. Michael Chan, executive director for faith and learning, will speak about Concordia’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at 4 p.m. in the Centrum.
In addition, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission is offering free rides to the “Umoja 55: Dreamers Unite” event from campus. The performance celebrates King’s legacy through an Afro-Futuristic lens, showcasing the power of dreams, unity, and hope.
Campus Ministry will follow up the event with an MLK Day Chapel service from 9:50 to 10:20 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Centrum.
“Communities in Action, Empowering the Dream” as a theme grew out of the MLK Day Planning Committee’s reflection on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Concordia following a period of transition.
“We need our campus community to be courageous, compassionate, and committed in our efforts to learn, reflect, and take action to realize MLK’s dream of our country and communities,” the planning committee wrote. “We hope you will join us in ensuring our campus commits to being 'Communities in Action, Empowering the Dream' for MLK 2024 and beyond.”
Visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/mlk for more information.
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