WFU, Winston-Salem State celebrate legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) are partnering again this year to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with events during the holiday weekend. The celebration marks the longest running partnership between Wake Forest and WSSU.

MLK Day Keynote Speech

On Monday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the K.R. Williams Auditorium on the campus of WSSU, CNN political commentator Angela Rye will deliver the keynote speech. The theme is “On Common Ground: Embracing Our Voices.”

Rye is principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, a political advocacy firm based in Washington, D.C. In addition to her work with CNN, she has been featured as a politico, lawyer and advocate by several publications and outlets, including Marie Claire, Ebony, The Washington Post, BET, NBC, HBO and ABC.

Rye serves on the boards of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee. She also served as the executive director and general counsel to the Congressional Black Caucus for the 112th Congress. Rye is a graduate of the University of Washington and Seattle University School of Law.

The keynote will also include musical selections from the Wake Forest Gospel Choir and the WSSU University Choir. The event is free and open to the public.

Other Events

Earlier in the evening on January 21, Wake Forest will hold and invitation-only banquet where one student and one faculty and staff member from both Wake Forest and WSSU will receive the “Building the Dream” award in recognition of their efforts toward improving social justice and building community.

On Saturday, Jan. 19, Wake Forest will host the 10th annual 2019 MLK Day of Service Read-In. Children ages 5-11 will be paired with a “reading buddy” volunteer who will read to them and will accompany them to various activities. Each child will receive at least one new age-appropriate civil rights-themed book and a donated age-appropriate children’s book to take home.

The read-in is organized by Wake Forest, WSSU, Salem College, HandsOn Northwest North Carolina, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Girl Talk Triad Chapter. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at WFU’s Benson Center. Parents or guardians must sign up for the event online.