NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University will honor Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual Celebration Week, starting January 17 and ending January 25. The event is open to the public and begins with the Peace Brunch at the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom, featuring Dr. Tyrone Bates Jr., a Northwest alumnus, as the keynote speaker.

The brunch will also present Northwest’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Awards, recognizing faculty and staff who embody Dr. King's principles of freedom, equality, justice, liberty, individuality, and respect.

“Martin Luther King’s unwavering commitment to social change serves as an example of how we can overcome adversity and create a more inclusive and equitable society,” said Dr. Shay Malone, assistant vice president of institutional excellence and global engagement at Northwest.

Dr. Tyrone Bates Jr., president and CEO of True Empowering LLC, has a career focused on education and leadership. He holds degrees from Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Celebration Week includes lectures, documentary screenings, and a school supply drive sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Malone will discuss sundown towns' impact on African American communities during her presentation.

A documentary about Martin Luther King Jr.'s final years will be shown during the week. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will collect school supplies for East High School in Kansas City.

King's birthday is observed as a national holiday on the third Monday each January since 1986; thus, classes are canceled on January 20 at Northwest Missouri State University in observance.

King led significant civil rights efforts in the 1950s-60s including his "I Have a Dream" speech during the 1963 March on Washington before his assassination in 1968.