Above: Norfolk State University President Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston
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Christopher Newport University will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a series of events that include public lectures, music, and volunteering opportunities.
These events are designed to celebrate King’s legacy, educate students, and open the doors of the University so that all may participate in the observance:
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Monday, Jan. 15 (Virginia’s MLK Holiday) - The Center for Community Engagement will provide service and learning opportunities - in person and virtual - that are open to all students, faculty and employees.
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Tuesday, Jan. 16 - The Spring Volunteer Fair is slated for the David Student Union Ballroom from 11a.m. - 2 p.m. The first hour will be open specifically to faculty. They can meet community partners and explore partnerships to bring community-engaged learning projects into the classroom. Students are invited to attend from noon - 2 p.m.
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Wednesday, Jan. 17 - MLK Creative Arts Tribute, Peebles Theatre, 6 p.m. This event will showcase dance, music, spoken word and other artistic expressions. Entertainment will be offered by the Soundscapes Jazz Ensemble, local poet and high school student Sean Rodgers, the CNU Chamber Choir, CNU students performing Haitian folkloric dance, and hip hop artist Kelo (Marckel Bonds '19). It is free and open to all.
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Thursday, Jan. 18 - “Walking with an Audacious Faith in the Future, ” a talk given by Norfolk State University President Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston at 10 a.m. in the DSU Ballroom. President William Kelly will introduce Adams-Gaston. Inspired by King's address, “Where Do We Go From Here?,” she will explore the hope and sacrifice associated with building a new future for humanity. In that 1967 speech, King predicted the future of the civil rights movement would not be smooth: “There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted. We may again, with tear-drenched eyes, have to stand before the bier of some courageous civil rights worker whose life will be snuffed out by the dastardly acts of bloodthirsty mobs. But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.”