A celebration of civil rights

The 14th annual UVSC Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration is to take place on Jan 15 and 16 with notable speakers and performers coming to campus and UVSC students displaying artwork.

"The speakers and events are representative of the ongoing challenges of civil and human rights, equality, and nonviolence in our country," said Kathy French, a professor in Behavioral Science and coordinator of the commemoration.

On Jan. 15, the keynote speaker Dolores Huerta will speak on "Women and the Fight for Social Justice" in the Ragan Theater at 10:00 a.m. Huerta is a leader in the Civil Rights movement and co-founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez.

Huerta has followed issues such as voter registration, immigration and women’s rights. She has been awarded many times for her work. One of the honors she received was being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.

Following her speech, there will be a discussion panel at 11:30 a.m. in the Ragan Theater in which Huerta along with others will address current civil rights issues.

At 7:00 p.m. there will be a performance of Richard Wright’s "Black Boy" in the Ragan Theater. "Black Boy" is an autobiography of Wright’s treatment as an African-American child living in the segregated South.

It will be presented as a one-man show performed by Charles Holt. Holt has performed "Black Boy" at a variety of venues including the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He will also be meeting with students on Jan. 16 to discuss "As the World Turns: From exclusive to inclusive."

Throughout the month there will be a display of student artwork inspired by civil rights issues. The artwork can be viewed in the art gallery located on the fourth floor of the UVSC library.

"Students who come to the events will find them to be memorable. Something unique about UVU is that the whole campus gets involved in the commemoration, and this year the arts are especially prominent," said French.

For more information on the commemoration, go to http://www.uvsc.edu/events/mlk