News Release

EVENT NEWS / November 27, 2007

Boise State University Announces Two Speakers, Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr./Human Rights Celebration

Nikki Giovanni

Wilma Mankiller

The Boise State University Martin Luther King Jr./Human Rights Celebration will feature two noted speakers during the 2008 event, which celebrates the legacy of the civil rights leader. Poet Nikki Giovanni is scheduled to speak on Jan. 24 and activist Wilma Mankiller will speak on Jan. 28.

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.

• Jan. 21: March and Rally, Student Union Hatch Ballroom. Doors to the Hatch Ballroom open at 9:30 a.m. for poster-making; the St. Paul’s Children’s Choir will perform at 10 a.m. and 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,” 7-9:15 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. 25: 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. 28: Keynote speech by Wilma Mankiller, “Leading from the Heart,” 7-9:15 p.m., Special Events Center. Mankiller is the former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and the first female in modern history to lead a major Native American tribe. She is a leader in bringing self-sufficiency to her people by developing new industries, improving health care and raising millions of dollars to build schools and other community properties.

• 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. 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 Leo Morales.

• Jan. 31: Educational session, “Human Rights and the LGBT Community,” 5:30-6:30 p.m., Student Union Farnsworth Room. Presented by Nicole LeFavour.

• 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.

• 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,” 3:30-4:30 p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. Presented by Amy Herzfeld, executive director of the Idaho Human Rights Center.

• Feb. 2: Educational session, “Privilege: Recognition, Reflection, Response,” 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Student Union Barnwell Room. $15 general, $10 students. 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 professor Heidi Reeder has been named the 2007 Idaho Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She is an associate professor in the Department of Communication. Reeder’s honor marks the 11th time that a Boise State professor has earned this award, and the seventh time in the last decade.

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Last reviewed on Monday, December 03, 2007