Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue Events Scheduled at UW Feb. 3

A number of events that tie into the contributions of black women during the civil rights movement to the present are scheduled during the 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue (MLK DOD) Feb. 3-9 at the University of Wyoming.

“MLK DOD events are scheduled during the second week of February. UW community members honor and recognize the continuing impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his life through this weeklong celebration,” says co-chair Erin Olsen Pueblitz, Wyoming Union associate director. “Activities and dialogue throughout the week serve as a renewal of UW’s commitment to making the campus and Wyoming an inclusive and empowering space for people from all backgrounds, experiences, orientations and abilities.”

She is co-chair along with Natawsha Mitchell, UW Multicultural Affairs senior project coordinator.

“This year’s theme, ‘Time’s Up,’ centers on the often-forgotten experiences and contributions of black women from the civil rights movement to the present,” Mitchell adds. “Through community-based programming, with an emphasis on the arts, this year’s MLK DOD uplifts creativity and healing as key components in the global struggle toward racial justice.”

In collaboration, MLK DOD and African American and Diaspora Studies, and UW Black Student Alliance Black History Month events are scheduled concurrently Jan. 31-Feb. 9.

MLK DOD schedule of events are:

-- Sunday, Feb. 3: MLK DOD March and Rally open poster making session, noon-3 p.m., 7th Street Studio, 710 Garfield St. Sponsored by the Wyoming Art Party, participants are urged to create a poster for the following day’s march and rally. Supplies will be provided.

-- Monday, Feb. 4: Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March and Rally, 5-6 p.m. Rally begins at the north side of Washakie Dining Center with a stop at the Albany County Courthouse before returning to campus. The march commemorates the historic March on Washington for jobs and freedom, and the legacy of King.

-- Monday, Feb. 4: Annual MLK Community Supper and Willena Stanford Diversity Awards, 6-8 p.m., Wyoming Union Ballroom. The event honors Stanford, a former UW instructor in African American and Diaspora Studies, who had a strong commitment to the equal educational opportunity of all UW students. A UW student will receive the diversity award during the event.

-- Tuesday, Feb. 5: Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning (ECTL) book discussion: “Not That Bad” by Roxane Gay, 12:15-1:30 p.m., ECTL, Coe Library, Room 510. Facilitators are Alison Harkin, UW School of Culture, Gender and Social Justice lecturer, and law Professor Jacquelyn Bridgeman.

-- Tuesday, Feb. 5: “Community Healing Practices,” 6-8 p.m., UW Art Museum. Panel discussion and healing trauma through art, yoga and sound therapy sessions.

-- Wednesday, Feb. 6: “Eat and Greet with Kai Davis,” 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Wyoming Union, Room 103. An invitation to meet with MLK DOD keynote speaker Kai Davis and new Multicultural Affairs staff. Lunch will be provided.

-- Wednesday, Feb. 6: “Dialogue Dinner,” 5-7 p.m., Washakie Dining Center. The dinner encourages students to engage in meaningful dialogue focusing on issues of diversity and inclusion. The event will be facilitated by resident assistants and residence coordinators. Prizes available to students. The event is open to students with a meal plan, and those without will be charged regular meal prices.

-- Wednesday, Feb. 6: “T-Shirt Making Party,” 5-7 p.m., 7th Street Studio, 710 Garfield St. The Wyoming Art Party sponsors the event, with a limited number of free T-shirts available. Participants are urged to bring their own T-shirts for the project. Gift cards to Coal Creek Downtown will be available as prizes.

-- Wednesday, Feb. 6: “Community Open Mic Night at Coal Creek Downtown,” 7-10 p.m. The event follows the Wyoming Art Party printmaking session.

-- Thursday, Feb. 7: Kai Davis keynote performance, 7-8 p.m., Wyoming Union Ballroom. Davis is a writer, performer and teaching artist from Philadelphia. Davis was the artistic director of the Babel Poetry Collective from 2012-16, and has performed for TEDx Philly, CNN, BET, Public Broadcasting System and National Public Radio. She is a two-time international grand slam champion, winning Brave New Voices in 2011 and the College Union Poetry Slam Invitational in 2016, and is a 2017 Leeway Transformation Award recipient. As a queer woman of color, her work focuses on race, gender, power, sexuality and its many layers.

-- Thursday, Feb. 7: StudioWYO hip-hop night, 8-11 p.m., The Gardens, located in the lower level of the Wyoming Union.

-- Friday, Feb. 8: Black History Conference, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m., UW College of Law. UW’s African American and Diaspora Studies hosts the conference as part of Black History Month events on campus. Among events are discussion on the history of Black History Month, speakers, panelists, and student and faculty presentations. Lunch will be provided.

-- Friday, Feb. 8: “The Hate U Give,” film screening, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., Wyoming Union Family Room. UW’s 7220 Entertainment sponsors the PG-13 rated film that runs approximately two hours.

-- Saturday, Feb. 9: Annual Diversity Ball, 8 p.m., Wyoming Union Ballroom. The Associated Students of UW’s United Multicultural Council sponsors the annual dance.