Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration 2014 in Fredericksburg

The University of Mary Washington will commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy with a celebration of lectures, events and community service, beginning Sunday, Jan. 19. The university will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of the holiday.

MLK Jr. Kids Day, 2 – 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 at James Monroe High School, 2300 Washington Ave, Fredericksburg.  Crafts, games, storytelling and other interactive activities.  The event is free.
 
The University of Mary Washington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speaker: Ernest Green, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 in Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall on the UMW campus, 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg.   

Ernest Green was one of the Little Rock Nine who, in 1957, were the first black students to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. Green was the first African American student to graduate from the school in 1958.

In 1965, Green became involved in employment law with a building-trade apprenticeship for the Adolph Institute, a project to help minority women in the South find opportunities for professional careers.  From 1968 to 1976 he directed the A. Phillip Randolph Education Fund. 

Green served as assistant secretary in the Labor Department under President Carter.

In 1999, he and the other people of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton for outstanding bravery during the integration of Little Rock Central High School.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Spoken Word/Poetry Performances, 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, in The Underground, Lee Hall, UMW. 

Student performances will be judged on creativity, content and performance delivery, and prizes will be awarded.  The public is invited to attend. Free.

The events are sponsored by the University of Mary Washington Office of the President; James Farmer Multicultural Center; Office of Honor, Leadership, and Service; and Multicultural Outreach Effort (MORE).