Martin Luther King Jr. Day events

Rochester-area residents will have two ways to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Rochester Area Ministerial Association and Rochester Community Schools will sponsor a celebration in honor of King’s teachings on Sunday, January 8. The service will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 620 Romeo Rd. in Rochester. The program is free and open to the public.

The event will feature presentations from the student Reflections contest winners, musical performances by local church choirs, University Hills Elementary School and Stoney Creek High School, and light refreshments. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Bruttell, an adjunct professor of religious studies at the University of Detroit-Mercy and chairman of the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit.

On Monday, January 16, Oakland University will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards with a keynote address by rapper, author and activist Common. The event begins at 11 a.m. in the Oakland Center Banquet Rooms

Common has released seven albums, three children’s books and a memoir, appeared in television and film and created a youth organization, the Common Ground Foundation, which is dedicated to the empowerment and development of America’s urban youth.

The Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards celebration honors King’s legacy by recognizing students who exemplify his vision.

Established in 1993, Keeper of the Dream provides scholarships for students who have demonstrated strong citizenship, scholarship and leadership in breaking down cultural stereotypes and promoting interracial understanding. For more information about the Keeper of the Dream event, call (248) 370-4404 or visit www.oakland.edu/kod.

Speak Your Mind

*