Ithaca College

MLK Day 2009 -- Monday, January 19 -- is a "Day On, Not a Day Off."

Start your day with a breakfast at 8:30 a..m. in the Emerson Suites that will you feed your body and your soul. At this breakfast, you'll hear from the MLK Scholars. In October, the first year MLK Scholars went to Atlanta, Georgia, and visited various sites related to achievements of the civil rights movement. During this experience each scholar connected to the movement in his or her own way and returned to Ithaca with a much deeper understanding of the sacrifices made in the 1960s.

To reconnect with these experiences and share them effectively with others, the scholars have prepared a presentation that utilizes the talents of the group. Using monologues, photos, and songs of praise to tell the stories that inspired the scholars to make a difference in the world, the presentation will take you on a tour of Kelly Ingram Park, the 16th Street Baptist church, and, finally, Bloody Sunday.

After breakfast, you'll have the opportunity to participate in community-service activities at a variety of sites across Ithaca. For more information or to sign up to participate, visit the website.

Project opportunities include something for every interest: from construction to organizing; from community canvassing to leading discussions; and from sewing to journalism projects. Not only will you help the community organizations that service the Ithaca area so effectively, but you'll have a great time and learn something too!

If you’d rather spend the day on-campus, you have a variety of opportunities to participate with faculty and staff in workshops including:

• "Challenging Racism in the Drug War" -- film and discussion presented by Tom Shevory, professor and chair, Department of Politics
• "Strategies for Addressing Diversity in the Classroom," presented by the Ithaca College Diversity Awareness Committee
• "Old Alliances Renewed: The African-American/Jewish Relationship," presented by Michael Faber, director of the IC Jewish Community
• "The Moral Permissibility of Civil Disobedience," presented by Tatiana Patrone, assistant professor of philosophy and religion
• "Post-Racial America vs. Post-Katrina New Orleans," presented by Paula Ioanide, assistant professor, Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity (DIIS)
• Freedom's Call film screening, presented by Jeff Bradbury, assistant professor of television and radio
• Street Fight -- Cory Booker documentary screening, presented by student leaders from OMA and CSLI

You won't want to miss the afternoon "Stations of Progress" event hosted between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. This event, originally presented at the 2007 MLK Day celebration, has returned by popular demand. Join the MLK Scholars for a fast-paced, interactive networking event that will spark conversation around today's hot topics. Be prepared to weigh in on issues such as Proposition 8; race and the election; the Jena 6; and many more. Light refreshments will be served.

After that exciting event, you'll be ready to sit and rest. So, come to Ford Hall at 8:15 p.m. for the third annual School of Music MLK Day Celebration Concert. Enjoy the talents of our students and faculty and they celebration the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through music and song.