Indiana University Northwest’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs (ODEMA) invites the campus community and general public to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Black History Month with three events designed to heighten awareness of the contributions of African Americans throughout history.

Jan. 24: “MLK and the Strength of Shared Dreams”

2:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24
Bruce W. Bergland Auditorium, Savannah Center

Emmy award-winning actor and diversity trainer Ron Jones is the co-creator of Dialogues on Diversity, a social justice and diversity theater company that uses theatrical models to express messages of difference, inclusion and social justice.

Through live character portrayal, and video, Jones will deliver a performance lecture that depicts how Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Poor Peoples Campaign” was a turning point in intersectional advocacy demonstrating how a broad cross-section of cultural groups came together to fight against poverty.

Using video excerpts during a one-man show, Jones will offer a multi-dimensional performance to illustrate lessons learned during a pivotal moment of America’s civil rights journey.

Feb. 5: “Life and Times Bessie Coleman: The First African American Female Pilot”

2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 5
Bruce W. Bergland Auditorium, Savannah Center

Just as other tales of pilots returning from World War I inspired us all, so did Bessie Coleman’s pioneering journey from the cotton fields of Texas to the skies above Paris. The first African American female pilot, Coleman became an inspiration to generations of pilots who followed her. Her tale is performed in an interactive one-woman show by her great-niece, Gigi Coleman.

Feb. 12: “Long Road to Hard Truth: The 100-Year Mission to Create the National Museum of African American History and Culture”

2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 12
Bruce W. Bergland Auditorium, Savannah Center

An Indiana native and Harvard University graduate, Judge Robert Wilkins is a U.S. Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. As the author of “Long Road to Hard Truth, the 100-Year Mission to Create the National Museum of African American History and Culture,” Wilkins will discuss how the museum came to be, evolving from the early history of advocates clamoring for a monument to recognize Black soldiers in the Civil War, to the September 2016 opening of the NMAAHC, a process that took 100 years.

For more information on these events, contact the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs at 219-980-6596 or kevsbrya@iun.edu.