As the spring semester begins, Saint Anselm College will pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy with a series of events themed around the “Fierce Urgency of Now.”
“As we begin a new year, we still remain a divided country. We must continue to break down hierarchies of human value,” says Wayne Currie, director of the Father Jonathan Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion. “We do this by continuing to work together, living and learning together, and respecting each other’s perspective. Now is the time to make the promise of democracy a reality.”
The MLK Planning committee planned sixteen events, many of which are collaborations between multiple campus departments and offices. The programming includes a vigil and candlelight march, Mass, film discussion, music, trivia, and speakers, to list a few.
The month-long celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy will begin with a dinner on Tuesday, February 1 at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) featuring keynote speaker, Kim Janey, former Mayor of Boston. All faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend.
Additional highlights of the month include:
- Margaret Mead and Faith: A Conversation with Prof. Elesha Coffman on Mon., Feb. 7. As an anthropologist Mead believed in the significance of ritual and the importance of service but rejected many of the particulars of her Christian faith.
- MLK Jr. Vigil & Candlelight March on Wed., Feb. 9 will begin and end at the steps of the Abbey Church. Campus mass to follow.
- The True Black History Museum-Lecture on Fri. Feb. 18 is a travelling Black history exhibit with artifacts dating from the late 1700s to the 21st century.
- On Mon. Feb. 21 the theology department and honors program are partnering to present Faith Amidst Ferocity: King's Legacy for the Now and Not Yet.
- Students from the Multicultural Student Coalition and the Anselmian Network for Racial Justice will discuss and reflect on the State of Black and Brown America in a panel on Tues. Feb. 22.
The full schedule of events is available on the Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion’s website.
2022 Planning Committee
Wayne Currie and Rina Ficek (Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion), Lauren Burrows (Career Development Center), Katherine Carey (Meelia Center), Christine Clayton (Library), Ian Durham (Physics), MacKenzie Kewley (Residential Life), Sarah Maynard (Sociology), David McKillop (Student Engagement and Leadership), Katherine O’Loughlin (Campus Ministry), Patrice Russell (College Advancement), and students Jillian Barret ’24, Ashley Locke-Hunter ’22, and Grace Tierney ’24.
2022 Sponsors
Campus Activity Board (CAB), Campus Ministry, The Father Jonathan Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion, Conversatio Department, Debate Team, Fine Arts Department, Geisel Library, Gender Studies, History Department, Honors Program, Multicultural Student Coalition, Saint Anselm Network for Racial Justice, Sociology Department, Student Engagement and Leadership, and the Theology Department.