NWA and U of A Communities Come Together to Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Annual MLK Day march in Fayetteville, 2013

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The annual Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Day march and vigil will be held in honor of the slain civil rights leader’s legacy on Monday, Jan. 20 in Fayetteville. The march will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Walton Arts Center parking lot on Dickson St. and progress to Arkansas Ave. and Maple St. before ending at the Arkansas Union on the University of Arkansas campus. The march has been organized by the NWA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Council. All community members are invited to participate.

Prior to the march the City of Fayetteville will present its MLK award to the city employee who best exhibits the spirit and legacy of Dr. King.

The MLK vigil will begin at noon, immediately following the march, in the Verizon Ballroom in the Arkansas Union, and the public is welcome. The event will feature a video montage of scenes from the civil rights struggle in the 1950s and 60s, a video of Dr. King’s 1963 speech during the Great March on Washington, a poem by Kristin Smith and musical performances by Shirlandria Enoch and the U of A Inspirational Chorale. Sherece Y. West-Scantlebury president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation will deliver the keynote address.

The vigil is sponsored by the Associated Student Government, the Multicultural Center and the Black Students Association.

That evening the NWA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Council will host the 18^th annual Recommitment Banquet, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Fayetteville Town Center. The theme of the banquet – and of all the MLK Day events – is “Living Together as Brothers.”  

During the banquet local high school and college students will be awarded MLK scholarships from the council, and the annual Salute to Greatness will recognize four individuals and one organization for outstanding community service.

This year the banquet’s keynote address will be delivered in the form of a one act play, “Bound by Blood”, written and directed by Clinnesha D. Sibley, associate professor of drama at the University of Arkansas, and performed by U of A drama students Britney Walker-Merritte and Brandyn Smith. The play is part of Sibley’s trilogy, King Me: Three One Act Plays Inspired by the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Banquet ticket information is available at 479-575-4825 or http://www.nwamlk.org/mlk-banquet/tickets.

Several other events are also scheduled as part of the MLK Day celebration.

A Blanket, Hat, Scarf, and Glove Drive is being held all day Saturday, Jan. 18 at the St. James Missionary Baptist Church, 764 W. North Street in Fayetteville. The MLK Council will be collecting new and gently used blankets for the Peace at Home Family Shelter and will also be making fleece blankets for children in the shelter. The U of A Center for Community Engagement is working with the Office of Diversity in the Sam M. Walton College of Business to collect gloves, scarves, and hats that can be dropped off at the church, or at any MLK event during the week. Students from the university will prepare these items for distribution to local programs working with children and the homeless in NWA.

A memorial service, honoring Dr. King’s life and legacy will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan.19, at St. James Missionary Baptist Church. Eli Jones, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business will be the keynote speaker. This event is hosted by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and NWA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Council. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will begin in Fayetteville with the annual Youth Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. in the U of A’s Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House at 491 N. Razorback Rd. This event gives local youth a chance to come together in prayer and reflect on ways Dr. King's dream has impacted their lives. The prayer breakfast is followed by an activity session at 9:30 a.m. in the U of A HPER building, where the young people can play games such as basketball, volleyball and soccer. These events are sponsored by the NWA MLK Council, U of A Intramural Sports, and U of A Intercollegiate Athletics.

At 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, Arvest Bank on the Fayetteville Square will host a reception in its main lobby to honor the spirit and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for diversity and community and professor of history at the University of Arkansas will be the featured speaker. The Holcomb Elementary School Choir, directed by Paula Aldama, will also perform.

The MLK Day observance will conclude on Wednesday, Jan. 22, with a Day of Service event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.in the Arkansas Union Connections Lounge. The event has been organized by the university’s student Volunteer Action Committee. A dozen local agencies and programs will have on-site service projects set up in the Lounge for any students, faculty, staff or community members who want to help out. Volunteers can also help pack the scarves, gloves and hats collected during the winter clothing drive.