AMES, Iowa -- During the next three weeks, Iowa State University and the Ames community will observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (Monday, Jan. 20) to honor the life of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and civil rights activist. All events listed below are free and open to the public.
"Let Freedom Ring" carillon concert
11:50 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, central campus
Carilloneur Tin-Shi Tam will play a musical tribute to King.
"Slavery By Another Name" documentary and discussion
7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, Memorial Union South Ballroom
In the years following the Civil War, insidious new forms of forced labor emerged in the American South, keeping hundreds of thousands of African Americans in bondage until the onset of World War II. This documentary spans eight decades, from 1865 to 1945. It uses archival photographs and dramatic re-enactments, and is filmed on location in Alabama and Georgia. Brian Behnken, associate professor of history, will lead a discussion following the film.
Community birthday celebration
6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, Ames Middle School (3915 Mortensen Road)
Festivities at the traditional Ames community celebration include a birthday cake and a program commemorating King's life and service. The program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. legacy convocation
"A Loving Story: Perseverance, Change and Civil Rights"
3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, Memorial Union Sun Room
Celebrate King's legacy and learn how his global vision for equality still is relevant today. The program features "The Loving Story," a documentary about interracial marriage in the United States, with a panel discussion following. The Advancing One Community Awards also will be presented. The awards recognize the recipients' efforts to create an inclusive university community that embraces justice and equity.
"The History of White People" presentation by Nell Irvin Painter
8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, Memorial Union Great Hall
Nell Irvin Painter is the Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, at Princeton University and author of "The History of White People," "Creating Black Americans" and "Southern History Across the Color Line." Painter earned her doctorate in history from Harvard University and has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the American Antiquarian Society.
"Freedom Riders" documentary and discussion
7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, Memorial Union South Ballroom
This documentary tells the powerful and inspirational story of six months in 1961 when the Freedom Rides, a pivotal moment in the long Civil Rights struggle, redefined America. More than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives — and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment — for simply traveling together on buses and trains through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism. Following the documentary, Brian Behnken, associate professor of history, will lead a discussion.