By Alexandria Baker
On Jan 17, the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Western will provide some enriching presentations and workshops from two activists and scholars in his honor. The keynote presentation is titled “The Danger of Silence” and will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Concert Hall.
The keynote presenter, Clint Smith III, has given TED Talks and authored a book of poetry called “Counting Descent.” His popular TED Talk “The Danger of Silence & How to Raise a Black Son in America” has been seen more than 5 million times.
The other speaker featured will be Nikkita Oliver, a Seattle-based writer and activist. She often facilitates writing workshops, and is a teaching artist. Oliver is also an attorney, and received her master’s of Education in racial disproportionality and disparate impact in school exclusion.
Oliver will be leading workshops earlier in the day before the presentation. Her workshops will focus on social justice and inclusion, with a session for staff and faculty at 1 p.m. in VU 565 A/B, and a session at 4 p.m. in the same room for students. A reflection and meditation space will be open in VU 565 C as well.
The workshops and presentation are sure to be relevant and engaging. It’s an excellent opportunity for students to remind themselves of why the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is still so important today, and how they can work to ensure that his dream becomes a reality for all people.
Image courtesy of the AS Child Development Center // AS Publicity Center