Missouri Southern’s virtual MLK celebration set for Jan. 18
Joplin, MO – The 21st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration presented by Missouri Southern State University will be offered virtually this year.
The theme for the event – set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18 – is “A Call to Action … What Are You Doing for Others?”
It will feature keynote speaker Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri State Conference of the National Association of Colored People. A variety of musical performances will also be featured, including Terrence Scott, the Unity Baptist Youth Choir, and a trio from Kansas City, Mo., along with the annual service awards presented to a student and an on-campus group, a community service photo display and a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Due to COVID-19 restrictions and our goal of keeping our community members, students and campus employees safe, the free event will be completely virtual,” said Shonte Clay-Fulgham, Missouri Southern’s coordinator of athletic sponsorship and sales and chairperson of this year’s event. “This will allow people to safely join us from anywhere and for unlimited attendance.”
All sponsorship dollars and donations collected for the event will go toward Diversity and Inclusion programming at Missouri Southern, the International Student Emergency Fund, and the university’s Lion Co-op.
Programs offered through the Diversity and Inclusion committee include speakers, trainings, seminars and other events. The International Student Emergency Fund was created as an ongoing resource to meet the needs of the university’s international students, including travel, scholarships and DACA-related issues. The Lion Co-op provides food, toiletries and other necessities for members of the campus community in need.
To watch the program via Zoom:
Link: https://zoom.us/j/96119130475
Passcode: 712339
Digital programs will be available to download and follow along during the event.
For more information, contact Shonte Clay-Fulgham at ext. 9857 or Clayfulgham-S@mssu.edu, or visit https://www.mssu.edu/president/martin-luther-king/.