Heritage University to Hold Events Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Heritage University will hold three events on January 18-19 to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first, The Power of Sound; Embodied Approaches to Sonic Activism will feature a keynote address by Dr. Lauren Eldridge of Spelman College. Dr. Eldridge will discuss how music has paved a way for change, and how sound highlights the struggles that bring us together. Highlighting this event will be students reading excerpts from Letter from Birmingham Jail. This event will be held Thursday, January 18 in Smith Family Hall from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The second, The Long Red Power Movement: A Tribute to Dennis Banks, will continue the celebration honoring the Civil Rights struggle of Native Americans. A community salmon dinner (first-come, first-served) will honor the work of Native American civil rights activist Dennis Banks who passed away in the fall of 2017. Keynote speaker Ryan Booth, Ph.D. candidate at Washington State University and Swinomish tribal member will recount the complex roles of Native Americans in resistance movements throughout history. This event will also feature an open mic and traditional performances by dancers and a drum group.  Heritage art professor Gloria Garcia will facilitate a special art project for children who attend. The event takes place Thursday, January 18 in Smith Family Hall from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Finally, Dr. Chad Hamill of Northern Arizona University will present Coyote Made the Rivers: Indigenous Ecological Continuity in the Era of Climate Change, a presentation and performance which blends music and visual imagery to recount the current state of health of the Columbia River and its tributaries. This event will take place Friday, January 19 in the Donald North Library from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

These events, which are free and open to the public, are sponsored by Heritage University’s MMUF Program. For more information, contact Winona Wynn, Mellon & Leadership Alliance Coordinator at (509) 865-8633 or wynn_w@heritage.edu.