Charles G. Adams
Marvalene Hughes
Photos: Courtesy of Charles G. Adams and Marvalene Hughes
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King Day celebration set for Jan. 16
Posted December 21, 2005; 10:40 a.m.
The University will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual King Day celebration at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will include: remarks
by Marvalene Hughes, president of Dillard University in New Orleans,
who will be recognized for her leadership; an address by the Rev.
Charles G. Adams of the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit;
musical selections by the Princeton University Jazztet; and the
presentation of awards to essay, poster and video contest winners from
area schools.
In addition, the University will present the MLK Day Journey Award,
recognizing a member of the Princeton faculty, staff or student body
who best represents King's continued journey. The event will be Webcast live.
Hughes was appointed as Dillard's ninth president on July 1 -- two
months before the historically black institution was devastated by
flooding from Hurricane Katrina. In September, Princeton and Brown
universities formed a partnership to help Dillard restore operations,
designating personnel to assist in vital areas such as physical
planning, facilities, libraries, academic offerings, campus life, human
resources, computing and development. The school is planning to resume
offering classes in January at a downtown hotel and various campuses
around New Orleans.
Adams, a renowned pastor, activist and leader in faith-based economic
development, has been cited by Ebony Magazine as one of America's 15
greatest black preachers and among Ebony's top 100 influential black
Americans. He has spoken around the world, including before the United
Nations on South African apartheid and the World Council of Churches on
the rioting in Los Angeles following the verdict in the Rodney King
case. He has served as president of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP,
the largest branch in the country.
This year's contests for area school children were intended to
emphasize the power of the vote. This past Aug. 6 marked the 40th
anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which has been called the single
most effective civil rights legislation enacted by Congress. Students
in grades 7 through 12 were invited to submit original essays or video
presentations expressing their feelings about the power of the vote.
Fourth- through sixth-graders were invited to create posters depicting
or symbolizing this fundamental component of democracy.
Winners of the essay and video and poster contests are listed on the University's King Day Web site, along with images of the winning posters. Excerpts from the essays also will be posted on the site.
Many of the posters will be displayed during the program.
The event is convened by the University's Martin Luther King Day Committee and is coordinated by the Office of Communications.