City invites public to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 9, 2013

For more information, please contact:
Craig Brenner, Special Projects Coordinator, City of Bloomington Department of Community and Family Resources, 349.3471, [mailto:brennerc@bloomington.in.gov]
William A. Vance, Jr., Chair, City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, 332.1513

City of Bloomington invites public to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Bloomington, Ind. - Mayor Mark Kruzan invites the community to attend the 2013 City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration. The event takes place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 21 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The Celebration will be preceded by a reception, also at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, at 6 p.m.

The 7 p.m. event will include remarks by Kruzan, Ivy Tech Chancellor John Whikehart, King Commission Chair William A. Vance, Jr. and others.

The keynote speaker is Carlotta LaNier, who made history as the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine. Inspired by Rosa Parks, LaNier desired the best education available and enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. She and eight other African American students were initially prevented from entering the school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, then allowed to attend after the intervention of President Eisenhower. The desegregation of Little Rock Central High School is considered one of the most important events in the Civil Rights Movement. LaNier describes the event and her subsequent activities in her recent book, "A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School."

LaNier is the president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation, a scholarship organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to education for African Americans. LaNier and her husband, Ira "Ike" LaNier, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Musical performers will include the Indiana University African American Choral Ensemble, directed by Dr. Raymond Wise, and the University Elementary School Martin Luther King, Jr. Choir, directed by Sarah Maggie Olivo. Volunteers who participated in "A Day On! Not A Day Off" will be recognized, and the winner of the Commission's video contest will be announced. Attendees also will be offered the opportunity to take the "40 Days of Peace" pledge.

The reception at 6 p.m. will feature light refreshments. The Buskirk-Chumley Theater program and reception are both free and open to the public.

Major event underwriters include the City of Bloomington, Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University, Otis Elevator, Stephens Honda-Hyundai and WFIU. Event sponsors include the First United Methodist Church, Indiana University Credit Union, Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i's of Bloomington and United Commerce Bank.

For a complete list of Martin Luther King Day of Service volunteer opportunities and other activities, visit [www.bloomington.in.gov/mlk|www.bloomington.in.gov/mlk] or contact Special Projects Coordinator Craig Brenner at [mailto:brennerc@bloomington.in.gov] or at 349.3471.

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