Members of the community are invited to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Bridgewater College during its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
“Celebrating the Dream, Continuing the Journey,” a partnership with the town of Bridgewater, will begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, at Oakdale Park, 134 Mt. Crawford Ave. in Bridgewater. The event kicks off with remarks from Bridgewater College President David Bushman, Bridgewater Town Vice Mayor A. Fontaine Canada, Pastor Erin Rinaca from the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren and Bridgewater student Angel Humphrey, a sophomore psychology major from Chesapeake.
After speeches, event attendees will march from the park to Bridgewater College‘s campus. At the conclusion of the march, guests are invited to enjoy a reception in the Boitnott Room in Rebecca Hall on the college’s campus.
Part of BC’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an endowed lecture on Tuesday, January 21 by journalist Wil Haygood entitled “Healing America: From Tigerland to Today.” In 2008, Haygood published “A butler well served by this election” in The Washington Post. His article, which is about long-time White House butler Eugene Allen, served as the basis for the 2013 movie “The Butler.” An acclaimed author, Haygood has published eight books including “Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart and a Magical Season of Healing,” which won the 2019 Ohioana Book Award and was runner-up for the 2019 Dayton Literary Peace Award.
The endowed lecture is sponsored by the W. Harold Row Symposium on Reconciliation and the Harold H. Hersch Educational Fund and is co-presented by the Department of Student Life and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The talk will be a traditional lecture format beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall on Bridgewater‘s campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and a book signing will follow. Parking is available in the adjacent Kline Campus Center parking lot at 410 East College Street, Bridgewater.
The parade, reception and endowed lecture are free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, information on cancellation will be provided online.
Bridgewater College will not provide shuttle transportation this year. Participants are encouraged to park in the Kline Campus Center parking lot at 410 East College Street on the Bridgewater campus and walk to Oakdale Park.
Founded in 1880, Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college in the Central Shenandoah Valley. Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,450 students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors, and four graduate programs housed within three distinct schools.
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Rebecca Barnabi
