Central College students and faculty will honor the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work with activities during the week of Jan. 18.
Faculty will facilitate an in-class experience at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students will share their dreams for 2021 alongside a display commemorating King in the Maytag Student Center. Imagery and a quote slideshow of King will be presented on the Campus Life Channel.
Students will have the opportunity to tie fleece blankets for the Care Bags Foundation, a nonprofit organization based out of Newton, Iowa, as a Martin Luther King Jr. Day service activity Jan. 21. Supplies will be available for pick up for individual students and small groups who are interested in participating to ensure proper safety protocols. Founded in 2000 by Annie Foskett, the Care Bags Foundation distributes care bags to displaced, abused and disadvantaged children.
Lastly, Central will host “What They Didn’t Teach You in History Class – America’s Hidden True Black History” with Fred Saffold III during a virtual event at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21. The presentation is free and open to the public. To register, visit thecollege.fun/CENTRALspeak.
Saffold will use historic artifacts, documents and photographs to bridge connections from the past to the 21st century. He will examine how these artifacts and images shaped racial attitudes and worldviews that still exist today. In exploring solutions for racial equity and inclusion, Saffold’s engaging presentation style motivates participants and brings about transformation. His work makes absolutely clear the impact racism has on us all and challenges participants to take action to make a more inclusive and equitable America.
Saffold speaks regularly on college campuses nationwide on issues of black history and racial justice. As a retired law enforcement professional and current director of the acclaimed traveling True Black History Museum, Saffold pulls from his unique background and years of activism and racial justice advocacy as the source of a pivotal understanding of the depth of racial justice work.
PICTURED ABOVE: Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on campus at Central College in March 1967.
