Auburn University is working to make Dr. King's dream a reality.
Beginning Jan. 16, the University is hosting a weeklong series of events and programs celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
"King Week is a weeklong celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. here on campus," said Shakeer Abdullah, director of the Multicultural Center. "This is going to be its fifth year happening."
The Multicultural Center and Access and Community Initiatives, two departments within the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, collaborated with the National Forum for Black Public Administration to co-sponsor King Week.
"We are hosting a scholarship breakfast on the morning of Jan. 16," said Tim Aylsworth, director of sales and marketing at the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center. "The event itself is being put on by the NFBPA's East Alabama chapter."
The Hotel and Conference Center will host an interfaith celebration Thursday followed by a conference Friday. Other programs include a Lunch and Learn series and a discussion of King's impact and relevance at the Multicultural Center.
Paulette Dilworth, assistant vice president for ACI, organizes the diversity outreach component.
"Our theme is 'The Time Is Always Right To Do What's Right,'" Dilworth said. "This particular theme was selected based on the fact that there are a lot of things going on not only in our community, but around the world. People typically think these things aren't affecting them.
"The idea is to get people motivated and involved to change the things that need to be changed and not wait for another time to do it."
As part of the tribute, Monday will be a day of service. Abdullah said he hopes this event will redefine this holiday for Auburn students.
"The idea is we want to encourage students to get out and serve and not just use the holiday as a day to sleep in or stay at home," Abdullah said. "It's a culture shift that will take place over time once people realize that it's more than just a day off."
The focus of events such as the day of service is to encourage involvement that honors King's legacy.
"Sometimes people look at the work Dr. King was doing as primarily about civil rights for African-Americans, but his work just before he was assassinated had began to advance towards making the situation with people living in poverty a priority," Dilworth said. "I think with the U.S. at this moment, that's one of the persistent issues that we should be concerned with."
Monday's scholarship breakfast will feature Gilbert Rochon, president of Tuskegee University.
"It's an opportunity for folks to get out and learn about the changes and things that are taking place," Abdullah said. "How Dr. King's legacy has impacted the growth of that university and how that relates to Auburn."
Dilworth said one of the goals of her office is to bridge connections between Auburn University and the surrounding community.
"If you notice at the bottom of the poster, we always make sure to put 'All are welcome,'" Dilworth said. "Anyone who is interested in learning more about Dr. King and his work and basically understanding how that work has implications for some of the more contemporary issues we're dealing with."
Abdullah said the tribute will not only cause people to pay attention to the remnants of racism and discrimination in the community, but move them to action.
"Sometimes people think the era is far gone, but the impact is far-reaching," Abdullah said. "I think what happens inadvertently is that some of the racist and discriminatory practices are passed down through generations.
"If you have a sense of history, it can help you understand how we can deal with things now."
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