March 29, 2024

MLK Celebration Week Draws Upon Service and the Arts

Attorney Tara Murray will be the MLK Celebration keynote speaker.

Attorney Tara Murray will be the MLK Celebration keynote speaker.

In the tight text of her Twitter bio, Tara Murray uses these words to describe herself: human rights defender, truth teller, justice lover, freedom fighter.

A civil and human rights lawyer in Washington, D.C., she was set to share more of her story on Wednesday, Jan. 18, as the keynote speaker for the University of Mary Washington’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Her talk was scheduled to take place in the Chandler Ballroom inside the Cedric Rucker University Center at 7 p.m. Also planned are activities that draw service and the arts into a weeklong recognition of the late civil rights icon.

Other Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration events include the “Speaking Truth to Power” exhibit of art, music, dance and spoken word created by members of the UMW campus community in honor of Dr. King and other leaders in the fight for human rights and social justice. It’s open to the public and will take place Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m., in Lee Hall’s Underground.

UMW students from across campus will also participate in the annual MLK Jr. Day of Service event on Saturday, Jan. 21. Participants will honor Dr. King’s vision by taking part in a variety of service projects to benefit Fredericksburg-area agencies.

And as part of Black History Month in February, UMW will host the Virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Project – also known as the vMLK Project – from North Carolina State University. The interactive project combines re-creations and technologies to allow viewers and visitors to experience a speech by Dr. King. It will be on view Wednesday, Feb. 22, and Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Hurley Convergence Center Digital Auditorium.

For more information on this week’s events, visit the JFMC’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration page. For a list of events set to take place next month, visit the JFMC’s Black History Month Celebration pageRead more.