Lake Michigan College kicked off its MLK Week with a celebration on Monday morning. LMC has released the following:
Now is the Time! The MLK Celebration Week, a free, virtual, community-wide effort inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” opened festivities Monday morning with an inspiring kickoff celebration.
The event, attended virtually by more than 240 households, was highlighted by a passionate keynote address from Tékeidra Masters, an 18-year-old graduate of Benton Harbor High School and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America 2020 Midwest Regional Youth of the Year.
In her speech, Masters urged attendees, regardless of race or ethnic background, to no longer remain “voiceless” when it comes to racism in all its forms. She spoke about historic racism and injustices of today, comparing Black Lives Matter protests and the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the police shootings and violence against African-Americans in 2020, and challenged everyone to stand up and be heard.
“You have to be passionate about change every day with your friends, family and foes,” she said. “Use your platforms every single day because you don’t know who may be listening.”
Another highlight was the presentation of inaugural MLK Spotlights to Lynn Todman, Vice President of Health Equity at Spectrum Health Lakeland, the Race Relations Council of Southwest Michigan, and Jada Willis, Miss Benton Harbor 2020. MLK Spotlights are designed to shine a light on an individual, organization and student who embodies Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spirit of brotherhood/sisterhood and love through their direct action throughout the community (learn more about the recipients here).
Monday’s event featured inspirational dance and musical performances, including Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and “We Shall Overcome.” There were messages from U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey, Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad, new Benton Harbor Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Mackenzie Kastl, Lake Michigan College President Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, and Whirlpool Corp. Chief Executive Officer Marc Bitzer.
A replay of the kickoff event can be found at lakemichigancollege.edu/MLK as well as on LMC’s YouTube page.
Now is the Time! The MLK Celebration Week is presented by Lake Michigan College, Whirlpool Corp., and supporting sponsors Kinexus Group, Horizon Bank and United Way of Southwest Michigan. The free, virtual series continues throughout the week and beyond.
Here is the remaining schedule:
Tuesday, Jan. 19
10 a.m. – MLK Trivia
4 p.m. – Discussion Group: I See Me, I See You, I See Us: Children’s Books about Diversity
7 p.m. – Discussion Group: Juneteenth
Wednesday, Jan. 20
1 p.m. – Civil Rights Movement Trivia
7 p.m. – Discussion Group: Letter from a Birmingham Jail – How Far Have We Come?
Thursday, Jan. 21
10 a.m. – Local Civil Rights Trivia
3 p.m. – Student Discussion Group: What do you believe in NOW?
7 p.m. – Discussion Group: Social Justice: A Matter of Equity
Friday, Jan. 22
1 p.m. – Miscellaneous Trivia
2 p.m. - Press Conference/Public Art Special Announcement
7 p.m. – Discussion Group: “The Best of Enemies” – The 2019 Major Motion Picture
All Week
• United Way of Southwest Michigan Food Drive – Proceeds will support food pantries in the tri-county area
• MLK Art Activity Packets – Pick up at Benton Harbor and St. Joseph libraries while supplies last
• Martin’s Dream: Virtual theater performance for children ages 8+, streaming free
• United Way of Southwest Michigan 21-day Equity Challenge
In addition to these events, several new resources can be found on lakemichigancollege.edu/MLK. These resources include a new Underrepresented Businesses Directory, an awareness and equity guide to woman-and-minority-owned businesses in Berrien, Van Buren and Cass counties; an MLK Resource Gallery for books, podcasts, films, community resources and more that explore race relations, bias, racism and current events; and the MLK Artistic Reflections Gallery.
To learn more or to sign-up for individual events throughout the week, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/MLK.
