Harrisonburg Mayor Christopher B. Jones will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, in Cole Hall, as part of Bridgewater College’s observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on Jan. 20.
The observance begins with a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial candlelight walk around the campus mall at 6:45 p.m., starting at the Alexander Mack Memorial Library and ending at Cole Hall, where Jones will speak.
Jones, a graduate of James Madison University, is a member of the Harrisonburg City Council and currently serves as mayor. He is a 2013 graduate of the Harrisonburg Citizen Academy. He serves as president of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham NAACP.
Following the candlelight walk, Selma, a 2014 historical drama directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb, will be shown at 7:30in Cole Hall. The film is set during the height of the civil rights movement and depicts the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in support of securing voting rights for Black people.
“There is an overwhelming since of urgency on college campuses around the country regarding bigotry in our world today,” said Joanne Harris-Duff, director of multicultural services at Bridgewater. “I believe our country needs to be reminded of the unwavering words of Dr. King. Our young people are seeking inspiration so that they can begin successful movements toward peace and justice in their own right.”
All of the observance events are free and open to the public.
Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to more than 1,800 undergraduate students.
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