Loomis Chaffee has planned several events for next week in celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader who, 60 years ago, at the age of 35, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King, an American Baptist minister who advocated for equality, was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

“In the upcoming MLK events, we will embark on a week filled with inspiration, unity, and impactful discussions,” said Ashley Augustin, chief diversity officer and the director of Loomis Chaffee’s Center for Institutional Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. “Together, we'll honor Dr. King's legacy by celebrating the values of equality and justice.

“This year, our spotlight shines on the boundless potential of science. The week provides us with an opportunity to understand the profound importance of promoting diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), knowing that in doing so, we ignite progress and well-being for all.”

 

MLK Week 2024

Monday, January 8, 7–8 p.m., DEI Center

HBCU virtual panel. Current students will speak with Loomis Chaffee alumni from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) about their experience attending HBCUs. Open to all students.

 

Tuesday, January 9, Norton Family Center for the Common Good, 6:30 p.m.

Courageous Conversation: Robin Okunowo. The program coordinator at the Captain Planet Foundation comes to campus. Ms. Okunowo “is an advocate for environmental and social justice in all facets of life,” and she earned “a dual degree in environmental studies and philosophy to study the climate crisis through a lens of equity, justice, empathy, and hope. She has dedicated her professional work to empowering young people to be impactful changemakers,” notes her bio on the foundation’s website.

 

Thursday, January 11, 9–10 a.m., Olcott Center

Pelican Day keynote speaker: Raychelle Burks. Dr. Burks is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at American University in Washington, D.C., returning to teaching and forensic science research after working in a crime lab. “Beyond the lab,” notes the American University bio, “Dr. Burks is a popular science communicator, appearing on TV, in podcasts, at large genre cons such as DragonCon and GeekGirlCon. She also writes a science-meets-true crime column called ‘Trace Analysis’ for Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is a member of a number of local, national, and international committees, task forces, and projects focused on social justice and STEM.”

 

Thursday, January 11, 1–2:30 p.m., Olcott Center

LC community program. Students and faculty perform in honor of Dr. King and his legacy. 

 

Friday, January 12, 8:30–11 p.m., SNUG

Jazz poetry night. Tye Brown (“T-AARONmusic”), Cameron Fletch, Tracy Caldwell, Natasha Ramos, Tre Brown, Wallace Reid, and others will perform.

Of note: The artwork of MLK used for this story was created by Visual Arts Department Head Stacy-Ann Rowe for a poster of the week's events.