Authors and Civil Rights Leaders
Headline 2010 MLK Events
Across The Colleges

The Claremont Colleges have organized a series of events across the campuses this month and next, commemorating the birthdate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Included in this year's lineup is Sapphire, author of the New York Times bestseller Push, Myrlie Evers-Williams, former wife of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., president and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.
A full schedule, including a brief description of each event, may be downloaded in PDF format.
Events in January lead off with an MLK Tea from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, in Seal Court, on the Scripps College campus. The following evening, on Thursday, Jan. 21, environmental activist Majora Carter (known for her motto, "Green the ghetto!") will speak at 7 p.m. at Pomona College in the Edmunds Ballroom. Events continue at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25 with a screening and discussion of talk show host Tavis Smiley's Stand: A Film By Tavis Smiley, exploring the black male past in America. The screening will be held in the Broad Performance Space at Pitzer College.
On Tuesday, Jan. 26, author and sociopolitical pundit Farai Chideya will visit Scripps College (Balch Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.) as part of the Alexa Fullerton Hampton Speaker Series: Voice and Vision. The following evening, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson Sr. will be the featured speaker at Claremont McKenna College's Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. The public portion of his address begins at 6:45 p.m. See more information.
January events will continue with a keynote address at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28 at Harvey Mudd College (Galileo Hall), given by activist Myrlie Evers-Williams, the first woman elected Board of Directors Chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Concluding events for the month of January, Claremont McKenna College will host Jazz Night at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 in McKenna Auditorium.
Commemorative activities then continue into February with the Monday, Feb. 8 visit of Push author Sapphire, at CMC's Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. (The public portion of the program begins at 6:45 p.m.) The following evening, Tuesday, Feb. 11, Ralph Ellison Scholars John Callahan and Adam Bradley, an associate professor of literature at CMC, will discuss Three Days Before the Shooting, Ellison's second novel. That event also will be held at 6:45 p.m. at CMC's Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum.
For more information about these events, contact the Office of Black Student Affairs at 909-607-3669.