Last modified: Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Tutu lecture highlights events to remember King at IU Bloomington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 3, 2007
Naomi Tutu
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African cleric and activist Desmond Tutu, will speak at Indiana University Bloomington, Sunday, Jan. 14, as part of the campus' Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration 2007.
Tutu will speak about the "power of one" and King's legacy on a national and international scale. Her address will begin at 5 p.m. at Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St. The public is invited, and a canned food item is requested for admission.
Tutu's lecture is one event in a busy and diverse campus celebration of King's life, which will begin Monday (Jan. 8) and conclude on Feb. 1. Nearly three dozen events will include panel discussions, musical performances, film screenings and a day of educational programming for local school children. Many IU Bloomington students will use the day to honor King's legacy by volunteering in the community.
Tutu founded the Tutu Foundation for Development and Relief in Southern Africa. From 1985 to 1990 the foundation helped South African refugees become self-supporting by providing them with scholarships and other means of support. She has continued to work to improve educational and professional opportunities in South Africa.
Born in Krugersdorp, South Africa, Tutu holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics and French from Berea College and a master of arts degree in international economic development from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Economic Development at the University of Kentucky. She has served as a consulting associate for Equator Advisory Services Ltd., a private consulting firm in sub-Saharan Africa. She also has done consulting work in South Africa looking into educational and professional opportunities for black women.
Tutu has taught courses at the universities of Hartford and Connecticut, and Brevard College on development, gender and education in Africa. She also has held administrative positions at Tennessee State University and Fisk University. She has worked at the University of Cape Town, where she was a program coordinator at the African Gender Institute.
Complete details about celebration events are available online at https://www.indiana.edu/~mlkjr. Other events celebrating King's legacy will include:
- A Unity Summit, an annual interactive diversity education program which promotes civil dialogue and explores ways to improve the campus climate for all IU students. It will be from noon to 3 p.m., Jan. 15, in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. For more information, contact: Eric Love at 812-855-2139 or elove@indiana.edu.
- Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan and several community leaders will speak at the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration, beginning at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 15, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The program, which is free and open to the public, will feature the presentation of the commission's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award, announcement of the winners of its Web page design contest and recognition of volunteers who participated in service projects as part of "A Day On! Not A Day Off." Performing at the Bloomington celebration will be the IU African American Choral Ensemble under the direction of Keith McCutchen and a community chorus led by Mellonee Burnim, a professor of ethnomusicology at IU, with members of the Bloomington Playwrights Project. The public is invited to participate in the community chorus, which will sing traditional African American music at the celebration. Those who are interested are invited to attend a rehearsal earlier that day at 4:30 p.m. at the theater. For more information, contact Burnim at 812-339-4906 or burnim@indiana.edu. The university community and the general public is invited to a reception honoring students who participated in the commission's Web page design contest.
- "A Day On! Not a Day Off," a massive volunteer effort organized in cooperation with a number of nonprofit agencies, IU and the City of Bloomington, has been planned for Jan. 15. The City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission sponsors volunteer service activities throughout the community. Details are available at https://www.bloomington.in.gov/cfrd.
- Students will take a trip, Jan. 12-14, to Birmingham, Ala., home to the Civil Rights Institute and site of historic Kelly Ingram Park and the 16th Street Baptist Church. Students will have an opportunity to participate in Sunday services at the church. Participants will receive an educational packet with materials about the Civil Rights Movement and its Birmingham historical landmarks. The cost for each participant is $20. The deadline to register is Tuesday (Jan. 9). Information is available at the CommUNITY Education Program Web page at https://www.cue.indiana.edu or from Paul Valdez at 812-856-1304 or pvaldez@indiana.edu.
- The IU School of Education's Fourth Annual King Activity Day will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in the school's atrium. Elementary school students from the community will participate in a variety of activities throughout the day. IU student groups will read chidren's stories about diversity and King, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Monroe County Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. The IU Volunteer Students Bureau will host a fair at Bloomington High School South from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- An interfaith prayer service will be held on Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. in Whittenberger Auditorium of the Indiana Memorial Union.
- A series of panel discussions will take place between Jan. 8 and Jan. 30, including "Hip-HopOLOGY: An Exploration of Rap Music," Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m., in the Wright Residence Hall formal lounge; "The Game of Life," Jan. 11 at 7 p.m., in Forest Residence Center Greeleaf Dining Hall; "Mix It Up," Jan. 16 at 7 p.m., in Teter Residence Center Theatre; "The Meaning Behind the Lyrics," 7 p.m. in the Read Residence Center formal lounge; "Who Are Asian Pacific Americans?" at noon, Jan. 19, at the Asian Culture Center; "Hip-Hop Speaks: Are You Listening?" at 8 p.m. on Jan. 23, in the Willkie Residence Center formal lounge; and "Say It Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud," 8 p.m. on Jan. 30, at Willkie Residence Center.
