The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Series was established in 1985 at Vanderbilt University as a celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Held each January as a part of the observance of Dr. King's birthday, the lectures and events of the Series serve to educate the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities on Dr. King's historic achievements and his enduring influence.

In honoring Dr. King, Vanderbilt University affirms its own commitment to the goals of peace and racial justice to which Dr. King dedicated his life.

Tuesday, January 13
7:00 p.m., Sarratt Cinema

Freedom Song (film)
Starring Danny Glover, David Strathairn, and Vicellous Shannon. The story of the Civil Rights Movement as
seen through the eyes of a teenager from bigotry-laden Jim-Crow-era Mississippi who joins the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in its active struggle to reeducate black citizens and gain basic human rights.

Based on the accounts of actual members of SNCC, including keynote speaker Charles McDew.

Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education Lucius Outlaw, Jr., leads a student/faculty discussion following the film.

Thursday, January 15
Noon, Flynn Auditorium
Vanderbilt University Law School

Melvin Oliver, Professor of Sociology and Dean of Social Sciences, College of Letters and Science,
University of California, Santa Barbara

Dean Oliver will address the ways in which the regulatory failures in the mortgage and housing industries
have had a disproportionate effect on wealth accumulation by African Americans in the United States.

7:00 p.m., Flynn Auditorium
Vanderbilt University Law School

“Was Reverend King [Un]Patriotic?: Examining American Patriotism in Light of Religious Difference, Prophetic Preaching, and Party Alliance”

Lewis Baldwin, Professor of Religious Studies; Forrest Harris, Assistant Professor of the Practice of Ministry, Director of the Kelly Miller Smith Institute on the African American Church; Kathleen Flake, Associate Professor of American Religious History; John Thatamanil, Assistant Professor of Theology; Shauna St. Clair, third-year master of divinity student. Panel facilitated by Paul Lim, Assistant Professor of History of Christianity and Religious Studies, and Tiffany Patterson, Associate Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and American Studies, Community members and members of Vanderbilt’s faculty discuss King’s patriotism from the perspectives of American history, liberation theology, Black church studies, comparative religion, religion in America, political science, and Buddhist-Christian dialogue.

Monday, January 19
Noon, Room 208, Light Hall, VUMC

“The Public Health System in Botswana: Successes and Challenges”

Honorable Lesego Motsumi, Minister of Health, Republic of Botswana
Presentation followed by a reception in Minister Motsumi’s honor.

4:10 p.m., Room 241, Vanderbilt Kennedy
Center/MRL Bldg, Peabody Campus

“Making Progress Happen for People with Disabilities—Past, Present, and Future”

Robert Silverstein, J.D., Director, Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy; Principal,
Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C. The latest installment in the Kennedy Center’s series “Lectures on Development and Developmental Disabilities,” followed by a reception

For more information, contact Amy Pottier at amy.pottier@vanderbilt.edu, phone (615)322-8240, or
visit www.kc.vanderbilt.edu.

“A lot of people didn’t understand our motivation and inspiration
[for the sit-ins]. For me, and most others, it came
directly from the Constitution. When citizens are wronged,
they have the right to petition the government, and that’s
what we could do.”
—Chuck McDew in an interview with
The State newspaper in 1993.

6:00 p.m., keynote/candlelight vigil, Benton Chapel
5:00 p.m., reception, Tillett Lounge

“Votes, Voices, and Victory: How far have we come?”
Charles McDew, Chairman, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) 1961—1964
Introduction by The Reverend James Lawson

Charles McDew was one of the founders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and led
the group from 1961 to1964. He has devoted his life to issues of social and political change, to the empowerment and development of local black leadership, to civil and human rights, and to the fight against racism.

An activist as well as a theoretician, he led his first demonstration in the eighth grade, protesting violations
of the religious freedom of Amish students in his hometown of Massillon, Ohio.

MLK Jr. Day Candlelight Vigil
A candlelight vigil in memory of MLK and in honor of the many activists past and present who are still fighting for the ideals and values that he represented will follow the lecture. Performances by Vanderbilt’s Jeremiah Generation Praise Team, VU Spoken Word, and Nu Image - a Nashville a cappella
group.

For media coverage and photos of this event, CLICK HERE!

This event is co-sponsored by Peabody College of Education and Human Development.

Thursday, January 22
6:00 p.m., Room 114, Furman Hall

“Social Responsibility in an Age of Scarcity: Realizing Economic Justice at Vanderbilt Today”
The Reverend James Lawson and invited guests

Panel moderated by Eli Feghali, co-founder of Vanderbilt Students of Nonviolence Martin Luther King’s later-life emphasis on economic and social justice is often overshadowed by his work advancing racial equality and desegregation. When King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, he was participating in the Poor People’s Campaign, supporting sanitation workers struggling for dignity and respect. This community forum will honor King’s commitment to economic justice by initiating a discussion at Vanderbilt about our own responsibility as workers and consumers within the second-largest private employer in Tennessee. An open discussion between students, faculty, administration, and workers will be the first step to coming together around our shared priorities and values.

Saturday, January 24
Noon, Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical and Essay Contest Winners’ Reading & Luncheon

Young people from the Nashville community will recite their winning essays and poems on the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Winning entries were chosen by a Vanderbilt University committee.

Saturday, January 31
8:00 p.m., Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall
Blair Global Music Series
Candace Kerr Johnson, soprano; Margaret Kapasi, pianist

This solo performance features songs, arias, and spirituals by African American composers such as Leslie
Adams, Margaret Bonds, Adolphus Hailstork, Olly Wilson, and others.

For additional information on the MLK series:

History of Series

How to Get Involved

Resources

Reaching Us:
Religious Life
(Phone) 615-322-2457
(Fax) 615-343-8355
(E-mail) gay.h.welch@vanderbilt.edu

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