Speakers on social justice, service projects, and workshops on race relations highlight UVU’s 24th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration, which gets underway Tuesday, Jan. 16, at noon.

 The commemoration is a two-day event and will feature a keynote speaker each day to examine the event’s theme “What happened to the dream?” The addresses will take place in the Ragan Theater in the Sorensen Student Center at the Orem campus.

 Brittany Packnett, activist, writer, and a national leader in social justice, will give the keynote on Tuesday which will be followed by two workshops and a service project for attendees. The workshops will be presented by Elijah Miles, speaker and activist, and LaShawn Williams, assistant professor at UVU, multicultural educator, therapist and speaker.

 Miles will also give a second key address on Jan. 17 at noon, followed by two workshops — one from Orem Police Department on race relations dialogue between the local police and the community, and the second, a Real Talk workshop, will close the program.

 “The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death in particular forces us to look at issues more acutely than we otherwise would,” said Kyle Reyes, vice president for Student Affairs and former special assistant to the president for inclusion. “Anytime we can get a student, faculty or staff member to ask more questions, it’s a victory.”

 

About Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University is home to more than 35,000 students. UVU began as a vocational school during World War II, and in the seven decades since has evolved into a technical school, community college, state college, and, finally, a comprehensive regional teaching university. UVU is one of Utah’s largest institutions of higher learning and offers programs ranging from career training to high-demand master degrees.

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