Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College will host a series of events honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including his vision of a Beloved Community.
The College will host its 33rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation during the week of January 20, 2025. Events will be held throughout the week, with the main day of celebration occurring on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Events will include speakers, a performance by the College’s gospel choir, and artistic opportunities, such as painting the annual Convocation mural. The events are centered around the theme “Beloved Community: Radical Empathy,” inspired by one of the featured speaker’s work around bridging racial divides and exploring how the structures that lead to segregation, inequality, and injustice impact everyone.
All events are free and open to the public. Featured events include the following:
Sending Sisterhood: Building Benevolent Beloved Communities through the United States Postal System
2:45 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025
Dion Family Student Center 3rd Floor (Roy Room)
Pamela N. Walker, Ph.D., a University of Vermont History Professor, will discuss the story of a hidden-in-plain-sight women’s social movement during the 1960s through the Mississippi Box Project. The project unfolded through the U.S. postal system, allowing Black women in Mississippi and white women in New England to forge unique friendships and participate in the Civil Rights Movement.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Yesterday and Today: Walk Together Children, Don’t Ya Get Weary
4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025
Dion Family Student Center 3rd Floor (Roy Room)
Rev. Dr. Shaun Whitehead, the University Chaplain at Saint Lawrence University, will deliver the keynote address during Saint Michael's College's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. As a preacher, teacher, writer, and singer, Whitehead focuses on breaking down barriers and building inclusive, reconciling, and affirming relationships. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.
The Sutherland Lecture Series Presents, “Radical Empathy: Taking Action/Bridging Divides
4 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025
McCarthy Arts Center Recital Hall
Terri Givens, a Political Science Professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, will speak at Saint Michael’s College as part of its annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation celebration and the College's Donald J. Sutherland Lecture Series. The lecture series brings leading thinkers and scholars to campus to speak on issues in the liberal arts and sciences. She is the author of the book “Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides,” and is a sought-after consultant and speaker on issues related to leadership and inclusion. She has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, politics, international affairs, and nonprofits. Her book will form the basis of her talk, which will address the importance of diversity and inclusion and outline ways in which people can bridge divides while employing radical empathy. Givens will be available to sign books after the event.
A full list of events for the College’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation can be found at smcvt.edu/mlk.
About Saint Michael’s College
Saint Michael's College, founded on principles of social justice and leading lives of purpose and consequence, is a selective, Catholic college just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of the country's best college towns. Located between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, our closely connected community guarantees housing all four years and delivers internationally respected liberal arts together with an innovative Purposeful Learning Program, preparing students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other, and their world.
Source: COLCHESTER, VT – Saint Michael’s College www.smcvt.edu
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