“We remain awake and encourage others to remain awake,” wrote Dr. Paula Groves Price, former WSU associate dean, in her arguably most popular article to date. Now a dean of North Carolina A&T State University, Groves will visit WSU once more as next week’s Keynote speaker for Martin Luther King, Jr. Week.
This year’s theme is “call to consciousness”, and will overarch and shape the three events held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23. Lisa Guerrero, vice provost for access and opportunity, said the theme is a more “deliberate” shift to reflect the current political climate.
“It’s really time to sort of regroup and rethink: what are our values, our responsibilities to each other, to building community and trying to make things accessible and equal,” Guerrero said.
The week will kickstart with the official holiday on Monday, Jan. 19. With all students having the day off, they are encouraged to participate in the CCE’s hosted day of service, which has numerous opportunities to help the local Pullman community and learn about MLK’s legacy.
The CCE has partnered up with the Whitman County Humane Society, the Whitman Recovery Community Center and Boost Collective to provide a diverse selection of volunteer events. Most of the events start around 10 a.m. and all are finished by 2 p.m.
Allison Rockwell, CCE service-learning coordinator, said that some people have already offered to volunteer, but there are many spots still open for each opportunity. More information about specific activities and sign-ups can be found on the GivePulse website.
With performances, awards and Dr. Paula Groves Price, the Keynote Celebration, starting 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 in the CUB Senior Ballroom, will mark the week’s climax. The event will also be livestreamed and must be registered for on the MLK week website.
Price will be speaking about collective consciousness and land grant universities, said Guerrero, and will center her speech around the year’s theme.
The week concludes with an open mic event in collaboration with the WSU English department and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. It will be held from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 at the Jordan Schnitzer Pavilion Gallery, and will also be livestreamed. There will be readings from Campus Civic Poets, as well as WSU creative writing students, of pieces that center around “a call to consciousness.”
“It focuses on poetry, spoken word, you know–people’s opportunity to give voice to their thoughts around Martin Luther King and his visions and what we’re doing with them today,” Guerrero said.
This is also an important opportunity for the community to listen to a diversity of speakers, as “we often are just hearing one voice as representative,” Guerrero said.
While there are slotted readers, anyone is welcome to sign up for an open mic slot to read an original or chosen work. Sign-ups can be found on the MLK week website.
Guerrero said that everyone in the community is free to attend any of the events during MLK week.
“Anyone from the WSU community, anyone from the Pullman community, anyone from any of the other WSU communities, outside of Pullman,” she said. “If you identify yourself as part of the community, you know, welcome and come on in and let’s, you know, let’s think about these things together.”
