Centenary announces 2016 "Dream Week"
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary College's 2016 "Dream Week" will include a special commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the College's integration and recognition of its first African-American graduates. Dream Week is an annual week-long celebration of the legacy and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and offers a variety of community events that encourage reflection, service, and action.
All Dream Week events are free and open to the public.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day
Monday, January 18, 8:00 a.m.
Kilpatrick Auditorium/Various Sites
Dream Week begins with Centenary students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community partners working together on the College's 8th annual MLK Service Day. Participants will paint, clean, and make repairs at local schools and non-profit organizations.
Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler will welcome participants at 8:00 a.m. in Centenary's Kilpatrick Auditorium, and volunteers will then be transported to their service sites. Registration for MLK Service Day is free and includes breakfast, lunch, and transportation. Check-in begins at 7:15 a.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium and participants will be returned to campus at noon for lunch.
Online registration is available here.
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, MLK Service Day is one of our nation’s biggest coordinated one day service opportunities each year. The national MLK Day of Service is part of President Obama's United We Serve initiative which calls on all Americans to participate in our nation's recovery and renewal by serving in local communities.
MLK Convocation with Guest Speaker Rev. Kenneth Fisher
Tuesday, January 19, 11:10 a.m., Anderson Auditorium in the Hurley School of Music
Centenary College archivist Chris Brown will serve as the moderator for this convocation featuring Rev. Kenneth Fisher, one of the first African-American students to enroll at Centenary College in the late 1960s. Fisher will share some of his memories from the time period as well as participate in a Q & A with audience members. Fisher is a Life Member of the Centenary Board of Trustees, has served as a pastor for United Methodist congregations in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport, and was chairman of the Commission on Archives and History of the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church from 2004-2008.
The Centenary College Choir will also perform at the convocation.
Faculty Lecture by Dr. Loren Demerath and College Archivist Chris Brown
Thursday, January 21, 11:10 a.m., Whited Room in Bynum Commons
Archivist Chris Brown, assisted by students Olivia Brignac '19 and Harrison Folse '19, has curated an exhibit chronicling the College's integration and the experiences of African-American students in the 1960s. Brown will introduce the exhibit and Dr. Loren Demerath, Chair of Centenary's Sociology Department, will place the Centenary experience within the broader context of the Civil Rights movement.
The exhibit will be on display in the Whited Room lobby from January through May 2016 and online at www.centenary.edu/archives.
Bridge Building Conversations
Thursday, January 21, 7:30 p.m., Kilpatrick Auditorium
LaToya Hemphill, Assistant Director for Community Engagement, and Maegan Daigle, Assistant Director of Christian Leadership, will facilitate this conversation open to the campus and the wider community. Discussion will focus on the current state of civil rights in the United States.
Dream Week Theatre Performance of "Gee's Bend" produced by Mahogany Ensemble Theatre
Friday, January 22, 7:30 p.m., Marjorie Lyons Playhouse
Interwoven with gospel music, "Gee's Bend" is a heartwarming and powerful play about a family of women in the real community of Gee's Bend, Alabama, which is now famous for the beautiful quilts created by the women who grew up there. "Gee's Bend"depicts their personal journey which parallels the turbulent history of African-Americans in the 20th century, through segregation, family strife, and the Civil Rights movement.
Tickets for "Gee's Bend" are $5 for the general public, and free for the Centenary College community.
The Mahogany Ensemble Theatre Company is an award-winning community theatre company founded and directed by Centenary double-alumna (B.A. in speech, M.A. in education administration) Angelique Feaster Evans.
5th Annual MLK Oratory Contest
Saturday, January 23, 12 p.m., Marjorie Lyons Playhouse
This annual event presented by the Mahogany Ensemble Theatre in partnership with Centenary and the Shreve Memorial Library System honors the legacy of Dr. King and Northwest Louisiana's rich Civil Rights heritage. The contest showcases the art of oratorical presentation and encourages the emerging leadership of talented youth in our community.
The oratory competition is open to all students in grades 3rd-5th (elementary division), 6th-8th (junior division), and 9th-12th (senior division). To enter a youth speaker, visit www.mahoganyensembletheatre.org by Friday, January 15. There is a $5 entry fee.