22 unique Freedom School sessions Jan. 21 include topics such as “Camden: A City of Hope,” “Capitalism and the Working Poor” and “Environmental Justice as a Civil Rights Movement”
Villanova’s observance, Jan. 18-21, also includes participation in the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, and a keynote address on race and stereotyping
For Immediate Release
Jan. 13, 2010
VILLANOVA, Pa., Jan. 13, 2010 – Villanova University and its Center for Peace and Justice Education will host a four-day celebration, Jan. 18-21, to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring several different events open to the public. Highlighting the celebration is The Freedom School, Jan. 21, which offers sessions focusing on topics surrounding Dr. King’s work.
Villanova’s four-day observance kicks off with a day of service Jan. 18, beginning at 8 a.m. About 200 local middle- and high-school students will join Villanova students to volunteer both on campus at various service sites in the Philadelphia area as part of the 15th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Projects include a West Mill Creek Recreation Advisory Council beautification and multiple activities at Unitarian Society of Germantown/Kaysem Court.
Graduates of the National Comprehensive Center for Fathers in Philadelphia will participate in a panel presentation, “On the Other Side of the Mountaintop: African American Fathers Reflect,” on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Connelly Center Cinema. They will offer various perspectives and interpretations of their experiences as they relate to the “beloved community.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 20, Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff will present the celebration’s keynote address, “Revolutionary Impatience: Charting a New Path to The Mountaintop,” at 7 p.m. in The Connelly Center’s Villanova Room. An assistant professor of psychology at UCLA and the executive director for research and co-founder of the Consortium for Police Leadership in Equity, Dr. Goff’s research regarding racial inequality has led him to become an expert in race, policing, and intersectional identity. He was born and raised in the Philadelphia area.
The four-day celebration wraps up on Thursday, Jan. 21, with 22 Freedom School sessions addressing issues related to Dr. King’s work and vision. Sessions will be offered throughout the day, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., in The Connelly Center. Sessions will focus on topics such as racial inequality, modern civil rights and communication.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information about Villanova’s 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and a complete schedule of Freedom School sessions, please visit: www.villanova.edu/artsci/peaceandjustice/newsevents/
Villanova University, a co-educational Roman Catholic institution, was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842. A premier institution of higher education, Villanova provides a comprehensive education rooted in the liberal arts; a shared commitment to the Augustinian ideals of truth, unity and love; and a community dedicated to service to others. A wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs are offered through the University’s four colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering and the College of Nursing, as well as the Villanova School of Law. With a total enrollment that surpasses 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students, Villanova is the oldest and largest Catholic university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
