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2022 MLK Celebration Week at WOU

15TH ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION WEEK

Sponsored by the Office of the President

January 17 – 21, 2022

This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration theme is “Injustice Anywhere is A Threat to Justice Everywhere,” which is included in Dr. King’s response to criticism of his work and ideas, in his 1963 essay, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” This year’s celebration highlights WOU Black student excellence as well as an exploration of one of Dr. King’s most historic letter from a Birmingham jail. For event details, please reference below.

MLK Celebration Week Events

BSU Scholarship - Give Today!

1/17-1/21 - $2022 for 2022: BSU Scholarship Fundraiser

Help raise funding during the MLK week to provide FOUR additional Black Student Union (BSU) scholarships! By your generous monetary gift, we hope to raise $2022 for the 2022 new year! A match will be made if we meet our $2022 goal.

How To Make A Gift

To make a gift, visit https://wou.edu/foundation/student-affairs/. Select the gift amount, choose “Black Student Union Scholarship” as the designation, complete the billing address and payment details, and press the “donate” button to make your gift.

Additional Information

We know that pursuing and attaining a degree comes with a ticket price, and we want to support the efforts to provide more scholarships to Black Student Union (BSU) members. One of the goals during this year’s celebration is to fundraise and secure funds towards the BSU Scholarship. Our goal this year is to raise $2022 dollars. We are reaching out to ask for your support in this year’s MLK Celebration Week. Your contribution will directly support BSU students’ educational journey.

As we know, the award of scholarships on student postsecondary education is unique and incredible. Here is a story of WOU sophomore student Michaela Loggins who wanted to share with you the impacts of a scholarship like this on their life:

“Western Oregon University is an institution in which I plan to grow and cultivate an inclusive and diverse environment for every student no matter their race, gender, or identity. We live in a world where labels and status differentiate us into ordinal categories and limits our abilities to explore anything outside of those boundaries. Personally, while attending WOU, I have struggled to pay tuition and housing, even while working for the university as a full time student employee. WOU has given me the opportunity to challenge myself and change that narrative through many different avenues including Black Student Union. With scholarships and more resources, I think that BSU can have an even bigger presence on campus that allows students of color to be more than statistics and instead, provide more opportunities for growth and diversity in the workforce.” – Michaela Loggins class of 24’

Will you support us in this effort to provide scholarships to WOU BSU students? By your generous monetary gift, we hope to raise funding to provide additional BSU scholarships.

1/18 - 'Dear Western Oregon University'

Dear Western Oregon University: Black and white portraits of Black students from Western Oregon University. The portraits capture the beauty of each student, while representing Black excellence as a whole at Western Oregon University.

Location: Werner University Center Gallery (2nd floor)

Participants:

Elizabeth Braatz

Amari Hendrix

Aidan King

Tati Whitlow

1/19 - 'Sincerely'

Sincerely: The lived experiences of Black students in life and as a Western Oregon University student.

Participants:

Elizabeth Braatz

Amari Hendrix

Logan Jackson

Aidan King

Tati Whitlow

Production: QLoop Productions, WOU College of Education

Kayla Dow, Cinematographer

Jeneba Diane King, Camera Operator

Ebony Hall, Producer

Alona Kemenyash, Camera Operator

Please take time to watch this student-led video, reflect on their powerful story/message, and ask yourself what steps you will take in response to their call. For additional insights on this video project, visit today.wou.edu.

Sincerely: The lived experiences of Black students in life and as a Western Oregon University student.

Participants:

Elizabeth Braatz, Amari Hendrix, Logan Jackson, Aidan King, and Tati Whitlow

Production: QLoop Productions, WOU College of Education

Kayla Dow, Cinematographer

Jeneba Diane King, Camera Operator

Ebony Hall, Producer

Alona Kemenyash, Camera Operator

1/20 - Keynote Address: A Conversation with Dr. Reginald Richardson

Keynote: Dr. Reginald Richardson, President of the Salem-Keizer NAACP

Photo by Abigail Dollins via Statesman Journal

A Jailbird’s Fight for Freedom: Throughout our history, there has been men and women unjustly jailed and imprisoned. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the one for whom we celebrate stands out as a figure who was unjustly imprisoned. This jailbird supported the practice nonviolent civil disobedience that landed him in jail dozens of times. Dr. Richardson’s keynote address will explore one of Dr. King’s most important historical essays, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” in support of the theme of “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.“

Date: Thursday, January 20, 2022

Time: 6:30PM PST

Location: Virtual webinar

Recording: https://wou-edu.zoom.us/rec/share/GcaM6ASyff7j4csLbYDe7I8dOLqsBIRFZVkGUETyjData7bXYm1GPejHVQ1khzQk.qAKYufOduKa-E9ui?startTime=1642732207000 (Passcode: Sc8SBy=+)

Host: Tati Whitlow, President of the WOU Black Student Union

Moderator: CM Hall

Round Table Panelist: JoeHahn, Elizabeth Braatz, Ebony Hall, and Tati Whitlow

Keynote Biography: Dr. Reginald C. Richardson, Sr. was appointed by Governor Kate Brown as Executive Director of the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, to help her lead Oregon’s efforts to combat addiction. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Richardson served as the Deputy Director for the Oregon Department of Human Services. He joined DHS as the Director of Self-Sufficiency Programs in June 2015, after a nationwide search.

Dr. Richardson came to Oregon from The Family Institute at Northwestern University in Illinois where he was Vice President for Evaluation and Clinical Services. He also served as a clinical lecturer in the Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies at Northwestern University. He has taught at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels; authored several publications, and provided social work consultation to a variety of organizations.

Dr. Richardson is a frequent speaker and trainer in child, adolescent, and family issues. His research has focused on Understanding Behavioral Problems in Children of Color, Parenting Practices in Kinship Foster Care, and Evaluation of Social Service Programs. He holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and social work, a graduate degree in psychiatric social work and a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Richardson is licensed as a clinical social worker in both Illinois and Oregon, with a clinical practice that specializes in individual, couple, and family therapy.

In January of 2021, Dr. Richardson was elected as President of the Salem-Keizer Branch of NAACP.

Biography provided by Dr. Reginald Richardson

If you require an accommodation to participate in a WOU activity, please notify the Office of Disability Services at least 72 hours in advance: 503-838-8250 or ods@wou.edu. To request interpreting, TypeWell transcribing, or captioning services, click here.

Questions regarding the MLK Celebration Week at WOU:

Contact Rip Horsey at horseyh@wou.edu