Have you ever considered becoming a mentor? How about serving food in a soup kitchen? For those of you who are interested in community service, this Thursday’s Martin Luther King event will be one not to miss.
The event titled “Building Bridges to Overcoming Racism” will take place in the Woodbury Campus Center amphitheater in Portland at 1 p.m.
The afternoon’s activities will give students a chance to engage in and learn about local community service organizations and raise awareness to help people overcome racism. Community service is activism, geared toward achieving equality, according to event organizers.
The event was scheduled around Martin Luther King Day to honor King and his activism in ending racism. King worked to gain equality for everyone.
He was born on Jan. 15, 1929, with the official holiday held on the third Monday of the month in remembrance of his birth. It took 15 years of petitions and lobbying before Reagan officially recognized Martin Luther King Day in 1983. This year marks the 73rd anniversary of King’s birth.
The holiday serves as an important reminder of the need to end racism and strive for equality even today. USM’s event celebrating Dr. King is a collaboration between Americorp, USM students and the Multicultural Center.
Roy Partridge, a professor from Bowdoin College will be speaking at the event, on the topic of overcoming racism.
After Partridge speaks there will be a group discussion/social.
Brandi Deragon, a team facilitator for Americorp says that while it is easy to talk the talk, “to actually get involved in community service, is where the rubber meets the road.”
Deragon is hoping enough students will invite others so the turnout is big, and that more students will become involved in community service.
“This is a way to utilize a burst of energy into something long term,” Deragon said.
At the event students will have the opportunity to talk to other USM students who participate in community service, and tables will be set up so students can sign up for specific community service projects through Americorp.
Deragon wants students to commit to community service, get inspired by their experiences, and realize it’s “time to get re-interested and recommitted to the issue of racism.”
Deragon suggests that if you cannot make the event, but are interested in community service and activism call the Office of Community Service at 228-8355.
Contributing Writer Natalie Frye can be contacted at: [email protected]