News

A speak-in on Monday, January 21, at 11 a.m. in Rammelkamp Chapel will kick off the week. The public is invited to attend as members of the IC community will connect the lives and speeches of Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King to the words of contemporary leaders and activists. Other events throughout the week include a faculty panel discussion, a screening and discussion of the 2018 movie BlacKkKlansman and an open mic and music night. 

This year’s theme, “What Are You Standing For?” pays tribute to lives and legacies of Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King, including Scotts’ continued efforts after King's assassination. 

Dr. Tim McGee, chaplain and coordinator of interfaith and inclusion initiatives, said that the theme references the fact that the dedicated activists were never satisfied with the steps that they made. 

“They always kept working for a deeper and broader social transformation: not just Civil Rights in the U.S. but social, political and economic rights for all people across the globe,” said McGee. “Their dream of a total social transformation — a revolution — is just as radical today as it was then, and their notion of solidarity across racial, national and religious lines is just as powerful.”

McGee says he hopes the week will inspire students and attendees to reflect on how they can continue to continue the Kings’ legacies in their own lives. 

“To honor their lives, we need to emulate them by taking a stand today in our own ongoing struggles for equality, justice, peace, and the wellbeing of all,” he said. 

For more information on King Week, contact Dr. Tim McGee at timothy.mcgee@ic.edu or 217.245.3060.