January 15, 2014

History and Action

With a series of events, including a talk by renowned journalist and civil rights activist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and take part in Black History Month.

Beginning with a day of service and continuing with events throughout Black History Month, Lewis & Clark is hosting a series of opportunities to focus on social justice, civil rights, and community engagement. Featured speakers include Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a renowned journalist and civil rights activist, and NBC political analysts Michael Steele, former Republican National Committee Chairperson, and Harold Ford Jr., former U.S. Representative.

At Lewis & Clark, the Department of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement leads our year-round commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and multicultural campus community. Working with offices and departments around campus, they engage students, staff, faculty, and alumni in critical discourse and provide opportunities to recognize the complexities and richness of cultural identity.

The events listed below were organized by the Department of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, Student Leadership and Service, Student Activities, the Law School, the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Lewis & Clark’s Chamberlin Lecture Series.

Monday, January 20

MLK Day of Service

A higher education collaboration brings college students together to learn about how education is a civil right through direct service. This year, that direct service will improve David Douglas, the largest high school in the State of Oregon, by developing career and college access kits for more than 7,000 high school juniors throughout the region.

Kick-off celebration at the Agnes Flanagan Chapel

Students, staff, and faculty will read sections of Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech paired with jazz music from Devin Phillips, a musician from New Orleans. Lewis & Clark Ombuds, Valerie White, will give closing remarks.

Saturday, January 25

Ally for Social Justice Workshop

This workshop is co-facilitated by Lewis & Clark Ombuds Valerie White and Portland State University instructor Sally Eck.

Monday, January 27

MLK lecture with Bill Lann Lee

Bill Lann Lee was the nation’s top civil rights prosecutor as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice from 1997–2001.

Wednesday, January 29

Chamberlin Lecture with Charlayne Hunter-Gault

Hunter-Gault—journalist, renowned national correspondent, news anchor, and activist—shares her personal and professional journey as a civil rights and social justice advocate over the last five decades.

Read an account of Hunter-Gault’s visit by Evelyn Guerrero ’16.

Wednesday, February 12

Left, Right, and Forward: The Future of Both Political Parties

Former U.S. Representative Harold Ford Jr. and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele speak on the future of both political parties.

Thursday, February 13

20th and 21st Century Climate Change: Climate Modeling, Societal Impacts, and Environmental Justice with Warren M. Washington

Warren Washington is the senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. President Obama awarded Washington the National Medal of Science in 2010.

Thursday, February 27

For Colored Girls

A theatrical production put on by Lewis & Clark students, adapted from Ntozake Shange’s 1975 stage play. Shange’s play—considered to be a landmark piece in African American literature and Black feminism—depicts the interconnected lives of nine women, exploring their lives and struggles as women of color.