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News Release
EVENT NEWS / January 10, 2008
Celebrate the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. During Human
Rights Celebration at Boise State University
The Boise State University Martin Luther King Jr./Human Rights Celebration
will feature a noted poet and civil rights activist during the 2008 event,
which celebrates the legacy of the civil rights leader. Poet Nikki Giovanni
is scheduled to speak on Jan. 24 on the subject of “The Right to Dream.”
Speaker Wilma Mankiller had to cancel due to health concerns.
This year’s celebration — featuring the theme “Whose America?” — will also
include the following activities, which are free and open to the public
unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit
http://mlk.boisestate.edu.
• Jan. 21: March and Rally, Student Union Hatch Ballroom. Doors to the Hatch
Ballroom open at 9:30 a.m. for poster-making; the march will begin at 10:45
a.m.
• Jan. 23: Educational session, “The History of the Chicano Movement,” 3-4
p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. Members of the Movimiento Estudiatl
Chicano de Aztlan will present a history of the Chicano movement, which was
born out of the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
• Jan. 24: Educational session, “The History of the NAACP,” 3-4 p.m.,
Student Union Barnwell Room. The Boise chapter of the NAACP will provide
historical information about the NAACP, both locally and nationally.
Participants will have a chance to ask questions.
• Jan. 24: Keynote speech by Nikki Giovanni, “The Right to Dream.” Doors
open at 7 p.m.; speech is from 7:30-9:15 p.m., Morrison Center. Giovanni,
distinguished professor of English at Virginia Tech, is a black American
poet, essayist and lecturer whose work influenced many people throughout the
Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and ’70s. Her poetry is renowned for
promoting racial equality and its urgency in calling black people to realize
their identities and their rights.
• Jan. 26: MLK Service Saturday, registration from 9-9:30 a.m., Student
Union Brava! Stage, located in the first-floor dining area. Free breakfast
provided. Service Saturday is a chance for volunteers to give back to the
community by donating their time to a local non-profit organization.
• Jan. 28: Educational session, “Human Rights and Christianity,” 4-5 p.m.,
Student Union Barnwell Room. Presented by professor Will Rainford, this
lecture will talk about how Christian values play into human rights issues
and Christian responsibility.
• Jan. 29: Diverse Perspectives Film Series, “Banished,” 5:30-7 p.m.,
Student Union Bishop Barnwell Room. “Banished” is the story of three
countries that forcefully banished African American families from their
towns 100 years ago and the descendants who return to learn a shocking
history.
• Jan. 30: Bilingual Poetry Workshop, 3:15-5 p.m., Student Union Bishop
Barnwell Room. Professional poets Joaquin Zihuatanejo and Natasha Carrizosa
will talk about how professional poet and spoken word artists get started.
They’ll also give tips about how to succeed on stage, increase creative
output, and perform/write/speak better poetry.
• Jan. 30: Bilingual Poetry Slam with Joaquin Zihuatanejo and Natasha
Carrizosa, Student Union Hatch Ballroom. Sign-ups begin at 6 p.m. (limited
to 15 participants), slam begins at 6:30 p.m. and featured poets take the
stage from 8-9:30 p.m. Zihuatanejo is a spoken word artist, award-winning
English teacher, HBO Def poet and National Poetry Slam finalist. Known as
“one of the most dynamic performance poets in the country,” his art depicts
his life, including a youth plagued by gang violence. Carrizosa celebrates
her African and Mexican-American heritage by weaving a blend of cultures,
languages and impressions into her writing. Her work has appeared in
“Rhapsody” and “Out Texas” magazines. She is also the author of the spoken
word CD “Mejiafricana.”
• Jan. 31: Educational session, “When Affirmative Action Was White,” 10-11
a.m., Student Union Farnsworth Room. Professor Jill Gill will give a
presentation about the politics of race and will explore the policies and
laws that kept people of color from obtaining loans, property and equality.
• Jan. 31: Educational session, “Human Rights and Native Issues,” 1-2 p.m.,
Student Union Barnwell Room. Presented by professor Martin Cutler and the
Intertribal Native Council. The plight of the Native American has always
been an uncomfortable subject with mainstream America. This discussion aims
to dispel the exoticized Indian brave myth and learn about the real issues
that Native Americans are having in the country, city and on campus.
• Jan. 31: Educational session, “Human Rights and Immigration,” 3:30-4:30
p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. Presented by activist Leo Morales. This
session explores immigration from the Latino perspective.
• Jan. 31: Educational session, “Human Rights and the LGBT Community,”
5:30-6:30 p.m., Student Union Farnsworth Room. Presented by Rep. Nicole
LeFavour. Learn about the results of recent Idaho polls on attitudes toward
LGBT people and the way discrimination affects the daily lives of members of
this community, as well as what is being done this year to help the
situation.
• Jan. 31: Film screening, “Journey to a Hate Free Millennium,” 7-9 p.m.,
Student Union Special Events Center. Film and facilitated discussion
presented by Dr. Alexandra Delis-Abrams. This inspiring documentary
addresses the subject of hate by searching out its origins and how it is
taught and learned. Co-presented by the Student Program Board.
• Feb. 1: Educational session, “Disabilities,” noon-1 p.m., Student Union
Barnwell Room. Presented by Wendy Turner, director of the Boise State
Disabilities Resource Center. People with disabilities face some hard
challenges in their everyday lives, including being “invisible” and dealing
with able-bodied people’s attitudes. Turner discusses how you can help.
• Feb. 1: Educational session, “Human Rights and Global Issues,” 1-2 p.m.,
Student Union Farnsworth Room. Presented by professor Renu Dube, who will
speak about human rights violations around the world and their impact.
• Feb. 1: Educational session, “Human Rights Framework: Understanding
Multiple Oppressions through One Lens,” 3:30-4:30 p.m., Student Union
Barnwell Room. Presented by Amy Herzfeld, executive director of the Idaho
Human Rights Center, and board member Dallas Gudgell. This session focuses
on an dialogue about the history and political utility of the human rights
framework, a multi-issue organizing tool.
• Feb. 2: Educational session, “Privilege: Recognition, Reflection,
Response,” 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. $5 students, $10
non-student individual, $15 couple. Continental breakfast will be included.
Presented by the Ada County Human Rights Task Force and featuring Cherie
Buckner-Webb, an accomplished gospel, jazz and blues vocalist and longtime
Boise resident. She uses her voice to promote human rights and raise
awareness about diversity and inclusion. Respected in the Treasure Valley
for her community involvement, she is the recipient of the 2000 HP
Distinguished Leadership in Human Rights Award.
• Feb. 19: Diverse Perspectives Film Series, “Mapping Stem Cell Research:
Terra Incognita,” 5:30-7 p.m., Student Union Lookout Room. Explore the high
stakes involved in the quest to harness the potential of stem cell medicine.
• March 18: Diverse Perspectives Film Series, “Iron Ladies of Liberia,”
5:30-7 p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. This documentary goes behind the
scenes with Africa’s first freely elected female head of state.
• April 15: Diverse Perspectives Film Series, “A Dream in Doubt,” 5:30-7
p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. America’s first post-9/11 hate crime
murder punctuated a wave of violence personalized in this intimate story of
tragedy and the American Dream.
Boise State University is committed to providing reasonable access to all
Boise State University activities by coordinating reasonable accommodations.
To request accommodations for any of these events, contact Student
Activities at 426-1223. Contact Student Activities at least one week in
advance of the event to ensure your needs can be met.
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Media Contact: Julie Hahn, University Communications, (208) 426-5540,
juliehahn@boisestate.edu
Boise State University is emerging as a metropolitan research university
of distinction. This transformation is being powered by the university’s
first comprehensive campaign to support students, faculty, strategic
initiatives, research and infrastructure. That’s why the campaign to raise
$175 million in private support is called Destination Distinction.
The Office of Communications and Marketing - Boise State
University
1910 University Drive - Boise Idaho 83725-1030
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email
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Last reviewed on
Friday, January 18, 2008
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