NMU is preparing to celebrate MLK Day by giving the community the opportunity for a day of service to commemorate the holiday.

A variety of events are set to take place on Monday, Jan. 21 sponsored by the Multicultural Education and Resource Center (MERC) starting at noon with an equality march that will meet in the Forest Roberts Theatre lobby. There will be a light lunch starting at 12:45 p.m. followed by a number of literary readings, all under the theme of civil rights at the University Center.
The event is something that MERC Associate Director Shirley Brozzo hopes will allow all people of the community to have the opportunity to share their
artistic feelings on Martin Luther King Day.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re faculty, staff, student or a community member–anyone can come up and share something if they choose to commemorate the day for MLK,” Brozzo said.

The Center for Student Enrichment (CSE) is sponsoring a series of service projects that will begin at 2 p.m. such as Valentine’s Cards for veterans, knitting for Harbor House, T-shirt dog toys for UPAWS and the opportunity for volunteer orientation for the NMU Food Pantry or Room at the Inn.

“We want people to be part of something larger than themselves, remembering Martin Luther King and his vision for America,” senior biochemistry major Tristan Ruiz said. “It’s a day to give back to the community.”

The CSE recently received a grant from the Michigan Council of Volunteering and the proceeds helped pay for the service project supplies.

The idea of having people come together for service projects and celebration of the civil rights era on behalf of MLK is something that Brozzo hopes will make people think a little more about the impact of history.

“If we can come together even one more time, maybe we still have a lot of difference but here is a time that we can sit down and talk about them,” Brozzo said. “No one has done this
all alone.”