University Celebrates 30th Anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Brunch
The multi-day commemoration highlights the 30th anniversary for the University’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Brunch, which has been expanded over the years beyond the actual brunch celebration to include other events, service projects, and special guests. The brunch is organized and hosted by the Society of WCU, formerly WCU’s Frederick Douglass Society.
This year, Ndaba Mandela, author of Going to the Mountain: Life Lessons from My Grandfather, Nelson Mandela, will present a free virtual keynote address on Monday, January 29, at 5:30 p.m.
Ndaba carries on his grandfather’s humanitarian mission as co-founder and chairman of the Mandela Institute for Humanity, where he lifts up the next generation of African leaders and fights for the end of HIV/AIDS. He was named one of the “28 Men of Change” by BET (Black Entertainment Television) and is featured in their International Emmy-nominated 2023 documentary series The Mandela Project, which centers on Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
The 30th anniversary Martin Luther King, Jr., Brunch, will be held on Friday, January 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Sykes Student Union Ballrooms. Tickets are $40 but WCU students can register and attend for free.
The brunch program celebrates Dr. King’s civil rights work and promotion of nonviolent struggle for racial justice. WCU alumni who exemplify Dr. King’s legacy are recognized at the brunch with the annual Drum Major for Justice Awards.
Other awards being presented during the brunch include the Civility Award and, new this year, a community service award named for former Executive Deputy to the President Lawrence A. Dowdy ’79 and the Society’s Student Service Leadership Award. Information on the recipients of these awards will be released following the brunch.
This year’s packed program also includes a history of the event presented by Valerie Dudley, one of the past presidents of WCU’s Frederick Douglass Society and now director of Multicultural Education & Training at Temple University.
Andria Young, interim executive associate in the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs and president of the Society, remarked on the anniversary of the brunch, saying, “As I reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, though there have been some changes, … there is so much that still needs to be done. It is my sincere hope as the community engages in the various events of the week, that they will do so genuinely mindful of Rev. Dr. King’s commitment to mercy, justice, and peace; that something said or done will communicate the importance of his legacy; and that it will motivate a move from complacency to consistent and directed activism “until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”*
Service has been part of the University’s commemoration of Dr. King’s legacy from the beginning. This year, two community service projects will bring the campus community together on Thursday, January 25. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., students, faculty, and staff will spruce up Bayard Rustin Park (corner of Rosedale Avenue and South Walnut Street), named for the civil rights activist and West Chester native. And from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. volunteers will gather in Sykes Union Room 115 to inspect and clean toys from the St. Agnes Day Room. Thursday concludes with a free showing of the movie Rustin in Sykes Theater at 6 p.m.
In addition, there will be a student panel entitled “Through Our Eyes” on Wednesday, January 24, at 5 p.m.
For complete details on WCU’s complete 2024 MLK Campus Commemoration events visit https://www.wcupa.edu/mlk/.
The Society of WCU is an organization of University faculty, staff, and administrators who embrace the spirit of Frederick Douglass’ commitment to social consciousness and inclusiveness. Their programs aim to stimulate other groups on campus to enrich our multicultural climate. The MLK Brunch is one way the Society raises money for scholarship funds.
* Amos 5:24. Scripture taken from the New King James Version of the Bible, which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., quoted in his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.