MLK's Fight for Economic Justice Topic of College Talk
Posted
Staff Report-
NORTH MANCHESTER – Manchester College celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with two events Jan. 13 and Jan. 16.
The public is welcome and reservations are not necessary at both free events on the North Manchester campus.
“Eyes on Economic Justice, the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” is the topic of the Jan. 13 speech of Christopher M. Whitt, founder of the Africana Studies program at Augustana College.
The talk focuses on King’s push for economic justice, what he saw as the next frontier in the Civil Rights Movement. Whitt says research indicates the racial wealth and political involvement gap continues to widen in the United States. His talk begins at 7 p.m. in the upper College Union.
Whitt will deliver his message from the same podium Dr. King used Feb. 1, 1968, at Manchester College as he gave his final campus speech, two months before his assassination in Memphis. Whitt’s research focuses on the racial wealth gap on black political participation. His most popular class at Augustana is “Race, Wealth and Inequality in American Politics.”
Manchester College will continue its celebration of Dr. King’s message of economic justice and empowerment at 7 p.m. Jan. 16 in Petersime Chapel. The interfaith gathering will feature a hypothetical conversation among influential leaders about Dr. King’s dream.
The Martin Luther King events are sponsored by the Manchester College Office of Multicultural Affairs and Campus Ministry. For more about Manchester College, with 1,320 students from 24 countries and 24 states, visit www.manchester.edu
