MC participates in Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration

Jan. 4, 2010

In observation of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, the Center for Strong Communities (CSC) at Maryville College and the Black Student Association (BSA) are hosting events inspired by the works of the civil rights leader that will focus on educational and regional challenges.

The CSC is hosting a community forum that will be held on Thurs., Jan. 14 from 6 until 8:15 p.m. in the Alumni Gymnasium. The forum, entitled “Latino Civil Rights, Obstacles and Opportunities with New Neighbors,” will focus on Latino civil rights and building positive relationships among neighbors. This community-wide program is free and open to the public.

The keynote speaker is Renata Soto, co-founder and executive director of Conexiόn Américas, a Nashville, Tenn., non-profit organization whose mission is to help Latino families realize their aspirations for social and economic advancement by promoting their integration into the Middle Tennessee community. Soto also serves on the board of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the U.S.

During the CSC-sponsored event, several East Tennessee organizations, including the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of East Tennessee and the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition, will be leading call-to-action discussions and setting up displays for networking.

The BSA’s theme for the holiday is “Looking to the Past for Future Guidance.” Craig Martin will address the community at 10:30 a.m., Jan. 18 in the Alumni Gymnasium. Voices of Praise will sing and present original poems and readings at the event.

Martin, who received his master’s degree in educational leadership at Lesley University in Cambridge, currently teaches fifth grade at Nathan Hale Elementary in Roxbury, Mass. Since 2002, he has worked with elementary and middle school students. At Nathan Hale, Martin serves on the instructional leadership team where he develops instructional practices that will lead to higher levels of student involvement. He also works on numerous projects overseas, mainly in Africa, to help strengthen the effectiveness of the educators.

“The Black Student Association chose Mr. Martin to be this year’s speaker for MLK day because he has done marvelous work to better the public school system in the Jamaica Plain area of Massachusetts,” said BSA member Phillip McCants. “Also, many Black students on campus are education majors. I thought it would be an excellent idea to have a successful Black male educator come and speak to the campus.”

The Blount County MLK committee is also hosting other activities around the community throughout the week, including a potluck community supper on Jan. 13, a business luncheon on Jan. 15, an ecumenical worship on Jan. 17, and a parade and commemoration ceremony on the Jan. 18 holiday.

For more information, visit the Blount County Chamber of Commerce website at blountchamber.com.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state‘s third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2011 semester was 1,078.