2012 Event Details
Date: Monday, Jan. 16, 2012
Exhibition and seating begin at 1 p.m.
Location: Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, Princeton University. (Alexander Hall is located behind Nassau Presbyterian Church, opposite Palmer Square on Nassau Street.)
2012 Event
Princeton commemorated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual King Day celebration Monday, Jan. 16, in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall. The event, which was free and open to the public, began with musical selections at 1 p.m.
Bob Moses, distinguished visiting fellow for the 2011-2012 academic year in the Center for African-American Studies, noted civil rights activist and founder and president of the Algebra Project, delivered the keynote address.
The event included the presentation of awards to visual arts and literary arts and video contest winners in grades 4 through 12 from area schools. Marking the 55th anniversary of the landmark desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., by youngsters known as the Little Rock Nine, this year's King Day contests focus on the importance of education as a foundation for success. Students were asked to propose viable options for addressing disparity in educational access and encouraging academic excellence.
During the program the University presented the MLK Day Journey Awards to Professor Miguel Centeno for Lifetime Service and Sandra Mukasa, class of 2012 for Special Achievement. The Journey Award recognizes a member of the Princeton faculty, staff or student body who best represents King's continued journey. The event also included performances by A New Perspective Jazz Band - a youth quartet from Ewing, NJ.
Moses, the keynote speaker, played a key role in the Mississippi Summer Project of 1964 which registered blacks to vote and protested racial discrimination. A 2004 honorary doctoral degree recipient, Moses will co-teach a course on education and labor policies through the lens of race this spring. His national non-profit, the Algebra Project, helps students in urban and rural school districts develop essential mathematical skills.
The webcast of the King Day event has been archived. It is convened and coordinated by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Human Resources.
