Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Presidential Commission organizes week-long event beginning Jan. 22

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Presidential Commission at SUNY Fredonia was charged with developing and implementing a week of programmatic initiatives the first week of school in January that honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.

In collaboration with President Stephen H. Kolison Jr., the committee extended an invitation to faculty/departments/units/clubs/organizations to host teach-ins and offer programmatic initiatives focused on the life and legacy of Dr. King.

The committee also encouraged volunteerism and giving back to the campus and local community. The week’s activities end with the commission bringing a keynote speaker to campus for a campus-wide and local community event.

For complete and detailed information on the week’s activities, and to sign up to participate as a volunteer, click here. All events are free and the public is invited to attend.

Spotlight events for 2024 include:

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Movie Night: “Selma,” on Monday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m., in the Williams Center. Student leader Sangai Keita will facilitate a discussion after the movie.
• Days of Service: The community service sub-committee will host Days of Service to unite SUNY Fredonia with local non-profit organizations to facilitate volunteerism. Organizations the students will assist include Prevention Works, Inc., Junior Achievement of WNY with the Dunkirk elementary schools; Lakeshore Humane Society, the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, the Audubon Community Nature Center and the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry.
• Community Impact Award: The community service subcommittee organized a Community Impact Award to recognize community organizations whose body of work and service to the community aligns with the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
• Days of Education and Reflection subcommittee invited a guest clergy person and four alumni to reflect on their SUNY Fredonia experiences and how the life and legacy of Dr. King impacted them in their personal life and throughout their careers. On Tuesday, Jan. 23, in collaboration with the SUNY Fredonia Interfaith Coalition, Bishop Leecroft Clarke will speak at 5 p.m. at the Williams Center Blue Lounge. He is an ordained bishop with the Church of God in Cleveland, TN, and the lead pastor of Healing Word Ministries Church of God in Jamestown, NY. He is also the Project Director of the Chautauqua County Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Coalition. More “Fireside Chats” during the week at noon in the Blue Lounge include SUNY Fredonia alumna Sharon J. Lawrence, LCSW-C, of Selah Wellness and Therapeutic Services, LLC and SJL Professional Services, Inc., Class of 1998, on Monday, Jan. 22; Dr. Diedre DeBose, Class of 2000, who is vice president for Mission and Equity at Hilbert College, on Tuesday, Jan. 23; Dr. Anika Simone Johnson, Class of 2002, who serves as assistant dean of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester (NY), on Thursday Jan. 25; and graphic designer Shiloh Cahuatijo, Class of 2022, on Friday, Jan. 26. There will be a current SUNY Fredonia student to introduce the alumni and moderate a Q&A section of the program to engage with the alumni speaker.
• A keynote address will be given on Friday, Jan. 26, at 5 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall by alumnus Dr. Shaun Nelms, Class of 1999, who is vice president of Community Partnerships at the University of Rochester and CEO of the Nelms Consulting Group. Dr. Nelms’ talk will focus on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as incorporate aspects of his book, “Leading with Purpose: Empowering Others to Create Lasting Change,” to describe how students, teachers and administrators from all disciplines can implement the tools and resources he provides as strategies to lead with purpose. A book signing and reception in Mason Hall Room 1075 follows Dr. Nelms' talk and the presentation of the Community Impact Award.

Sponsors of the week of events include the Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities and the Collingwood Endowment of the Fredonia College Foundation, the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, Campus Life Office, Department of Athletics and Recreation, Division of Student Affairs, Education Opportunity Program, Faculty Student Association, Interfaith Coalition, Intercultural Center, Marketing and Communications, Office of Alumni Affairs, Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Office of the President, Office of Residence Life, Student Association and School of Music.

Commission members include Co-chairs Drs. Vicki T. Sapp and Tracy Stenger, Ivory Brooks, Dr. Wentao Cao, Jiyong Mai, Mark Suida and student representative Christian Taber.