Daughters of Malcolm X to speak at WFU on MLK Day
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: The Future is Dependent on Us” and highlights the call for the next generation of leaders to help mend historical divides and end systemic injustice.
On Monday, January 18, at 7 p.m. in Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University, Ambassador Attallah Shabazz and Ilyasah Shabazz, daughters of civil rights icons Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, will join Wake Forest’s Dean of the College Michele Gillespie in an exploration of the connection between King and Malcolm X and a discussion on the current racial and political climate in the U.S. More information about the speakers and the event is available here.
This 16th annual keynote event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is free and open to the public. Wait Chapel doors open at 6:15 p.m.
“We are delighted to have these two remarkable women with us during such an important time in our history,” said Barbee Oakes, Wake Forest’s chief diversity officer. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were seminal figures in the fight for civil rights, and it’s through the voices of their family members that we gain clarity of their vision and an understanding of how to be effective change agents in the 21st-century struggle for justice.”
Earlier in the evening, Winston-Salem State University will host an invitation-only banquet where one student and one faculty/staff member from both Winston-Salem State and Wake Forest will receive the “Building the Dream” award in recognition of their efforts toward improving social justice and building community.
For more information on the joint celebration, contact the Wake Forest Office of Multicultural Affairs at 336-758-5864, or Winston-Salem State University Student Activities and Engagement at 336-750-3351.
Additional MLK Weekend Events
On Saturday, Jan. 16, Winston Salem State University will host the 2016 MLK Day of Service Read-In in the Donald J. Reaves Student Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service and promotes King’s legacy of service, literacy and community empowerment to children ages 4-10.
On Sunday, Jan. 17, Wake Forest will host the 11th Annual GospelFest at 3 p.m. in Brendle Recital Hall, Scales Fine Arts Center. Gospel recording artist Jonathan McReynolds with special guest Paul Scott and One Way, in addition to the Wake Forest University Gospel Choir will perform at the event.
GospelFest is free for Wake Forest students with a valid student ID. General admissions tickets are $10. Tickets are available for purchase online through EventBrite here. For more information on GospelFest, contact the Wake Forest Office of Multicultural Affairs at 336-758-5864.
