NMU and Marquette will have the chance to take part in a full week of events geared toward diversity in the form of Martin Luther King Jr. Week: Diversity Through the Ages, which begins on Jan. 20.

Brought together by the Center for Student Enrichment (CSE), the Multicultural Education Resource Center (MERC), the McNair Scholars Program, the graduate studies department and the President’s Committee on Diversity, an Equity March, where everyone is welcome, will start at noon on Jan. 20. It will kick off at the Forest Roberts Theatre and move through campus to the Woods Lodge. 

After the march, CSE has put together a number of different volunteer action projects as a way to give back to the needs of Marquette, lending a hand to everything from the NMU Food Pantry to the creation of handmade dog toys and knitted winter wear for the homeless population.

MERC Associate Director Shirley Brozzo said that hosting these service opportunities on campus while students don’t have any classes will hopefully push them to be a part of something larger within the community and be inspired by the giving environment.

“You’ve heard great speeches and shown solidarity with other folks. By providing these [volunteer] opportunities, you get a chance to participate in action projects right there at the event,” Brozzo said.

While students and community members can actively volunteer during the day, there is also a chance to partake in an event more focused on King’s legacy as a public speaker. Poetry Without Borders: Let Freedom Ring is an event hosted by the language, literature and international studies department allowing those who speak other languages to not only share the poetry of their language but also a piece of their culture, Assistant Professor Anna Zimmer of the languages, literature and international studies department explained.

Poetry without Borders: Let Freedom Ring focuses specifically on literature rooted deeply in King’s beliefs. The presented works can be in English or any other language, as long as they touch on topics of freedom and justice. Zimmer said that this requirement is in place to honor King’s love and crafting of spoken language, which has become such a strong and integral part of his legacy.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was such a powerful orator as well as such an amazing writer, that I think we can honor his legacy by sharing the works of other poets,” Zimmer said. “It’s very powerful for people to speak about these topics.”