Members of the community are invited to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Bridgewater College during its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, “Celebrating the Dream, Continuing the Journey,” in partnership with the town of Bridgewater.
The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, at Oakdale Park, 134 Mt. Crawford Ave. in Bridgewater. The event kicks off with remarks from BC President David Bushman, Bridgewater Town Vice Mayor A. Fontaine Canada, Pastor Erin Rinaca from the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren and BC student Angel Humphrey. Humphrey is a sophomore psychology major from Chesapeake, Va. A march of event attendees from the park to BC’s campus will follow.
At the conclusion of the march, guests are invited to enjoy a reception in the Boitnott Room, located in Rebecca Hall on the College’s campus. Please note: the College will not be providing shuttle transportation this year. Participants are encouraged to park in the Kline Campus Center parking lot, 410 East College Street on the BC campus, and walk to Oakdale Park.
Part of BC’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an endowed lecture on Tuesday, Jan. 21, by journalist Wil Haygood entitled “Healing America: From Tigerland to Today.” In 2008, Haygood published “A butler well served by this election” in The Washington Post. His article, which is about long-time White House butler Eugene Allen, served as the basis for the 2013 movie “The Butler.” An acclaimed author, Haygood has published eight books including “Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart and a Magical Season of Healing,” which won the 2019 Ohioana Book Award and was runner-up for the 2019 Dayton Literary Peace Award.
The endowed lecture is sponsored by the W. Harold Row Symposium on Reconciliation and the Harold H. Hersch Educational Fund and is co-presented by the Department of Student Life and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The talk will be a traditional lecture format beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall on the BC campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and a book signing will follow. Parking is available in the adjacent Kline Campus Center parking lot, 410 East College Street, Bridgewater.
The parade, reception and endowed lecture are free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, visit bridgewater.edu for information on cancellation.
Media contact:
Heather Cole
Editor & Director of Media Relations
hcole@bridgewater.edu
1/7/25
