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Mandela address, community service activities highlight MLK celebration at NU

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Sat, Jan 17th 2015 03:25 pm

A presentation by Ndaba Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, underscores a week's worth of activities coordinated by Niagara University in observance of the federal holiday that marks the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mandela's keynote address - set for 6 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Castellani Art Museum - will focus on his grandfather's trailblazing legacy and its international impact. Attendees will be permitted to ask questions during the event, which will be followed by a general reception. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

In addition to the events and initiatives listed below, Niagara faculty, staff and students will be participating in community service projects throughout the week that include reading sessions with local middle and high school students, and volunteering at the Heart, Love and Soul food pantry in Niagara Falls.

All Week

Then & Now Display

This exhibit will display posters, music, clothing, living spaces, the social/political climate, and college student life from 1968 and 2015. Gallagher Center Multipurpose Room

The Great Wall of Social Justice Interactive Display

Students will share their thoughts about the importance of social justice on a wall-sized poster or by adding #nusocialjustice to their related Twitter posts. A video screen next to the poster will display student tweets live. GCMR

Sunday, Jan. 18

7 p.m. - Mass for Peace & Justice

The Office of Campus Ministry invites the community to a special Mass in the Alumni Chapel.

Monday, Jan. 19

10 a.m.-2 p.m. - Youth Project

Local high school and middle school students will take part in campus tours, a reading session on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., lunch, and a panel discussion on how to achieve success as a student. GCMR

7 p.m. - Vigil Prayer Service

This prayer service is coordinated by the office of campus ministry. Alumni Chapel

9 p.m. - 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom'

Special viewing of the movie that reflects on the life of Nelson Mandela. O'Shea Hall lounge (All films/videos are intended for the educational instruction of Niagara University students)

Tuesday, Jan. 20

12 p.m. - U.S. Civil Rights Movement & South Africa's Anti-Apartheid Movement

A display and student-led brown bag discussion will illustrate and parallel two historic movements. GCMR.

5:30 p.m. -From Prisoner to President: The Mandela Legacy Lives On

Keynote address featuring Ndaba Mandela. Castellani Art Museum

Wednesday, Jan. 21

12:20 p.m. - Focus on Ferguson: Law Enforcement in Urban Communities Then & Now

Professor Michael Durfee will offer a presentation comparing and contrasting the role of law enforcement during citizen protests in the past and present. GCMR

2:30 p.m. - MLK Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech Video

Professor Todd Schoepflin will screen and discuss details of Dr. Martin Luther King's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. GCMR

(All films/videos are intended for the educational instruction of Niagara University students)

6 p.m. - 'Selma' Movie (Bus Trip)

Based on availability in theaters.

Thursday, Jan. 22

All Day - "50 Mile March for Martin"

The university community will join together in an attempt to cumulatively walk 50 miles, the distance from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, where marches for voting rights and other civil rights causes were held. Treadmills will be designated in the Kiernan Center. For each mile walked, $1 will be donated to Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

2:10 p.m. - '1968': Documentary Narrated by Tom Brokaw

Professor Vince Agnello will share video focused on the energy of 1968, the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the many politically charged events that made this a special time in American history. GCMR

(All films/videos are intended for the educational instruction of Niagara University students)

4 p.m. - MLK: The Other Ones

David Whalen, statewide project coordinator for First Responder Disability Awareness Training, will deliver a presentation emphasizing Dr. Martin Luther King's impact on disability legislation. GCMR

Friday, Jan. 23

12 p.m. - A Close & Personal Look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Family

Dr. A. Reed Taylor, a retired high school English teacher (Nichols High School, Buffalo) had the pleasure of escorting King during his visit to Yale University, where Taylor was a student in 1958. After King's untimely passing, Taylor ran errands for Mrs. King and even played baseball in the yard with the young King boys. During this discussion, Taylor will share his experiences with the King family, how the Civil Rights Movement changed his life, and its impact on the society he knew in the late 1950s and 1960s.

7 p.m. - MLK Social & Showcase

Niagara students coordinate a night of food, song, spoken word poetry and oral presentations highlighting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela's historical legacies. St. Vincent's Hall, Fourth Floor

For more information, contact Niagara University's Office of Multicultural Affairs at 716-286-8510 or [email protected].

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