UO events honor acclaimed civil rights leader on MLK Day

Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of equity, inclusion and diversity will be honored at the University of Oregon in the days ahead as the campus celebrates the life and words of the renowned civil rights leader in connection with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The day is a national holiday and falls on Monday, Jan. 16, this year.

The Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement offers a National Day of Service on the holiday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Through hands-on service, participants will learn more about poverty alleviation in the Eugene-Springfield community and King’s efforts to reduce poverty.

Following breakfast and educational presentations, participants team up with community partners for two hours of service work. To learn more and register, visit the Holden Center website.

UO community members are invited to join the MLK march, Monday, Jan. 16, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Autzen Stadium north gates. The group will march to the Hult Center downtown, where a short program will follow. Interim President Patrick Philips will speak at the Hult Center event. The UO is a participating sponsor in the annual march presented by the Eugene Springfield NAACP.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m., the “Pizza and Politics” series presents discussion on the topic “Intersections of Poverty and Politics,” celebrating the work of the Poor People's Campaign and exploring how poverty affects and intersects with numerous social issues. The no-host event is first come, first serve, with capacity for about 20 people in Bartolotti’s Pizza Bistro on the ground floor of the Erb Memorial Union.

The UO Division of Equity and Inclusion offers a virtual commemoration of the holiday on Thursday, Jan. 19, featuring speakers and performers from across campus. See the Division of Equity and Inclusion’s event website for the video link and more information.

Patricia Faison Hewlin, a faculty member at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, addresses “Contemporary Challenges Associated with Authenticity in the Workplace” on Monday, Jan. 23, as part of the African American Workshop and Lecture Series.

Hewlin’s research has centered on employee silence and the degree to which members suppress personal values and pretend to embrace organizational values. Her lecture will illustrate how complex work dynamics hinder authenticity even when organizational leaders and practices encourage everyone to bring their “whole selves.”