REMEMBER — CELEBRATE — ACT
A DAY ON — NOT A DAY OFF

The University of South Carolina will commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a number of events beginning Friday, Jan. 18.

This will mark the 25th consecutive year that the university has held a formal program to pay tribute to the late civil rights leader.

King Day activities will begin with a commemorative breakfast celebrating King's life and legacy. It will be held at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 18, in the Zone at Williams-Brice Stadium. Featured speaker for the breakfast will be Bishop Frederick Calhoun James. Bishop James, a life-long civil-rights advocate, is the co-organizer of the National Council on Religion and Race. He is also a member of the White House Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Music will be provided by USC staff member Carl Wells and the Women of Strength, a local gospel group.

This event is open to all faculty, staff and students, as well as to the public. Cost of the breakfast is $8 per person and $2 for students. Tickets are on sale at the Carolina Coliseum Box Office and the Russell House Information Desk. Shuttle service to Williams-Brice will be provided for University employees from the Russell House University Union and 743 Greene Street, leaving at 6:45 a.m. and returning to those locations after the event.

Activities on Monday, Jan. 21, will begin with the 11th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, sponsored by Carolina Service Council & Community Service Programs,
Department of Student Life. The Day of Service will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Register online at http://www.sa.sc.edu/communityservice/mlk.htm to join the more than 450 USC students, faculty, and staff who are expected to volunteer at local non-profit organizations including Hope World Wide, Reliant Hospice and Salvation Army. Volunteers will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Russell House for check-in and an opening ceremony honoring the legacy of Dr. King. Transportation and lunch will be provided.

Following the Day of Service activities, there will be a program at the School of Law at 3:30 p.m. in the law auditorium. The speaker for the program will be Stephen Morrison of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. Morrison is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law. The university’s MLK Committee and the Black Law Students Association are sponsors of the event, which is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the program.

The University's observance will conclude Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. with the annual MLK Gospel Unity Fest at the Koger Center. All seats are reserved, and tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the Carolina Coliseum Box Office and at the Russell House Information Desk.

Nationally acclaimed Doc McKenzie & The Hi-Lites will be this year's featured performers. This Lake City , S.C., gospel group has won numerous American Gospel Quartet Convention awards, including Quartet of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. They also were presented the Blockbuster Gold Cup and the Johnson/Blair Award, the highest award in gospel music. Also appearing at the MLK Gospel Unity Fest will be The Gap Choir of Northeast Columbia and a local quartet, Revelations.

The evening's guest speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Robert Howell, senior pastor at Bethany United Methodist Church in Summerville, the largest Methodist Church in South Carolina. A USC graduate, Rev. Howell earned his Master of Divinity degree from Duke University and his Doctor of Ministry from Drew University.

Summary of Events

Friday, January 18, 2008

Commemorative Breakfast—7:30 a.m., The Zone, Williams-Brice Stadium. Tickets: $8 per person and $2 for USC students, available at the Carolina Coliseum Box Office and the Russell House Information Desk. Featured Speaker: AME Bishop Fred James.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Service Day Events—9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Volunteers are to meet at the Russell House second floor lobby for check-in and assignments.

Black Law Students Association Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration—3:30 p.m., Law School Auditorium. Speaker: Stephen G. Morrison, partner with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. Open to the public at no cost and will be followed by a reception sponsored by the Young Lawyer's Division of the Bar in the main lobby of the School of Law.

MLK Gospel Unity Fest—An Evening to Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—6:30 p.m., Koger Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets: $10, available at the Carolina Coliseum Box Office and the Russell House Information Desk. Featuring Doc McKenzie & The Hi-Lites, with performances by The Gap Choir of Northeast Columbia and a local quartet, Revelations. For more information, contact the USC Office of Equal Opportunity Programs at 803-777-3854.

Related Links

King Celebration 2008
Sponsored by The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee, Inc., this site includes a listing of local, national and international events that are planned for the 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

The King Center
Official website for The King Center, established in 1968 in Atlanta by Coretta Scott King as a memorial dedicated to the advancement of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Directory
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta and The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University have compiled primary and secondary documents covering the life and career of the civil rights leader. The site contains a biography, a chronology of King's life, articles, and a searchable bibliography of reference sources. The site also includes access to letters, speeches, and commentary written by King. A simple, free registration form is required to access the primary documents.