By Dr. Jasmine Wise, Coordinator, Gail Metoyer Jones Center
Email: wisej@nsula.edu
Northwestern State University, in collaboration with campus and community partners, will host a series of events in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day that are centered on service, education, justice and racial healing. Organized through the Gail Metoyer Jones Center alongside sponsoring organizations, the MLK Days of Service and related programs invite students, faculty, staff and community members to honor Dr. King’s legacy through meaningful action and reflection.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. held a deep compassion for helping and strengthening communities, so we recognize and honor his legacy through meaningful community service projects that support the most vulnerable populations of our community,” said Brittany Broussard, director of Culture and Climate at NSU.
Service-focused events will take place throughout the week.
A collection of hygiene products, school supplies and semi nonperishable snacks will be donated to the students at Natchitoches Junior High School. Donors can drop off donations to the Gail Metoyer Jones Center located in the Friedman Student Union Room 240.
In addition to this week-long donation drive, volunteer opportunities on Friday, Jan. 16 include assisting at Rolling Hills Ministry Thrift Store from 9-11 a.m., sorting and packaging the donations for NJH at noon, Nursing Home Bingo at Natchitoches Community Care from 2-4 p.m. and a visit to the Boy and Girls Club from 3-6 p.m.
Service projects will continue on Saturday, Jan. 17 with the Community Center Clean-Up from 10 a.m.-noon at the MLK Center, 660 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
All service opportunities require registration through the student engagement platform Suitable. Community members are encouraged to attend open programs and join in honoring Dr. King’s legacy through education, service and civic engagement.
Morgan Swafford, president of the NSU chapter of NAACP says, “As a student leader committed to service, community and fairness, I am excited to take part in our MLK Day events. They serve as a powerful reminder that honoring Dr. King’s legacy requires intentional action and a shared commitment to uplifting one another.”
The observance continues on Monday, Jan. 19 with the MLK Day March for Justice & Peace, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Ben Johnson Community Center, followed by a program at the MLK Center. The march and program provide space for collective reflection, unity and recommitment to Dr. King’s principles of nonviolence, equity and justice.
The week will conclude with the Day of Racial Healing documentary screening, “Who Is James Meredith?” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20 in the NSU Student Union Ballroom. The film examines the life of James H. Meredith, who in 1962 became the first African American to attend the University of Mississippi, highlighting his pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and the enduring struggle for racial justice in America. Directed by Meredith’s wife, Dr. Judith Meredith, viewers will have the opportunity to participate in a Q/A session with her concluding the screening of the documentary.
For more information, please contact Dr. Jasmine Wise, coordinator of the Gail Metoyer Jones Center, at wisej@nsula.edu.
