Focus Session I
1:00-1:50

Selections from the Brauer Museum of Art’s Permanent Collection (Repeated in Session II & III)
Presenter: Gregg Hertzlieb, Brauer Museum of Art
Brauer Museum of Art, VUCA

The Brauer Museum will display works by artists who address issues of justice, cruelty and tolerance from diverse ethnic and gender perspectives. During each session, the museum director will give a lecture that explains each work in depth.

A New Time, A New Voice (Repeated in Session II & III)
Presenter: Martin Erhardt, Department of Chemistry
Mueller 01

In this session a video detailing the life of Dr. King will be presented. Following the video, participants will be given the opportunity to discuss what they consider to be some of the important shaping parts of Dr. King’s life, who he was, and what his life means to us today.

Film and Discussion of Ernest Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying (Includes Session II)
Presenter: Kathleen Mullen, Department of English
Mueller 02

Come see the film of A Lesson Before Dying, the story of two black men and the women who love them as they struggle--each in his own way--toward manhood. The film will be shown uninterrupted during the first and second sessions (1:00-2:50) with discussion to follow.

Black vs. Black ...Why Is There Separation? (Repeated in Session III)
Presenters: NaTasha Henry and Samuel Jelks, Black Student Organization
Mueller 04

Are divisions within the Black community real or artificial? What are the obstacles to Black unity and how can they be eliminated? A candid discussion of a sensitive subject.

How Urban Fashions are Viewed and Used (Repeated in Session III)
Presenters: NaTasha Henry and Samuel Jelks, Black Student Organization
Mueller 05

An open discussion of how urban fashion has been popularized and used in the African-American community and the personal views/stereotypes that it produces.

The Lunch Date (Repeated in Session II)
Presenters: Christ College Faculty Discussion Leaders, Christ College
Mueller 114

The Lunch Date (1989), a 10-minute film by director Adam Davidson, invites explorations of perceptions and realities of race, gender and class. Christ College faculty members will lead participants in a discussion of this short, provocative film.

Poetry Reading: Ideas of MLK Jr. (Repeated in Session II)
Presenter: Char Prieto, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Mueller Commons

In this session, participants will be reading poetry relating to the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Themes will focus on peace, love, tolerance and understanding as paths to the realization of the hopes and dreams of Dr. King.

The Game of Life: Opportunities and Obstacles
Presenters: Emily Hoovey and Alan Bloom, Habitat for Humanity
Mueller Refectory

Have you ever wondered how different your life might be if you were you were born to a different family, race, or set of circumstances? What would your life be about? What would your challenges be? Come to this interactive session where together we will explore what it is like to walk a mile in another person’s shoes.

A White Man’s Journey on the Path of Life and How Martin Luther King Influenced His Dreams, Hopes, and Actions (Repeated in Session III)
Presenter: Jerry Hager, Motivational Speaker
Union Crusader Room

Martin Luther King influenced many people directly and personally. His life, words and deeds opened the mind of this small town Indiana boy and changed him forever. Wherever the speaker has traveled, from Birmingham to Memphis, from Chicago to Savannah, from the 16th Avenue Baptist Church to Ground Zero in New York City, King’s shadow has followed. This is the story of that continuing journey.

Educating and Advocating for Change: A Look at Tobacco and
Smoking on College Campuses (Repeated in Session III)
Presenter: Natalie Rivich, Smokefree Indiana
Union Squire Room

Tobacco has many faces on a college campus: the issue can be in the form of a smoking cigarette, wandering smoke, cigarette butt litter, or a flyer for a tobacco-sponsored event. Come learn how the lessons taught by Martin Luther King have helped expand the anti-tobacco movement to address the issue on many levels, including the sale of tobacco, the increase in college smoking, and the targeting of students by the tobacco industry.

“We’re Not in Kansas Anymore”: Deaconess Service in Multi-Cultural Settings (Repeated in Session III)
Presenters: Diane Marten, Julia Peters, Gloria Stubitsch, Nita Cunningham, Lutheran Deaconess Association
VUCA 1412

The session begins with an experiential exercise in cooperation and continues with stories from three deaconesses who serve(d) in diverse cultural locations. Through reflection and the sharing of experiences, this program will encourage participants to identify ways to act and serve cooperatively with diverse populations.

Amnesty International: Human Rights Issues Throughout the World (Repeated in Session II)
Presenter: Eve Bottando, Amnesty International
VUCA Lobby

Members of Amnesty International will explore six different areas of concern regarding human rights violations throughout the world. Emphasis will be on finding out what actions we can take as citizens to end human rights abuses.

Having a Ball with Social Justice
Presenters: Kristin Thomas and Steven Wilco, Chapel Social Concerns
VUCA 1409

This session will introduce participants to disabilities, both physical and socioeconomic, which often impose limits on the dreams and hopes of individuals. Through participation in a game of “passing the ball,” participants will discover how all people have dreams and hopes which, although sometimes hindered by disadvantages, can be overcome with the efforts and actions of us all.

Bias Motivated Incidents in Northwest Indiana
Presenter: Larry Baas, Department of Political Science, Community Research and Service Center
VUCA 1420

Students associated with the Community Research and Service Center and the Community Outreach Partnership Center at Valparaiso University regularly track bias motivated incidents in Northwest Indiana. This presentation will discuss the frequency, location, severity, targets and perpetrators of bias motivated incidents over the past 11 years.

Panel on Race, Poverty and War
Presenter: Paul Brietzke, Valparaiso University School of Law
VUCA 1416

Join VU School of Law faculty for a panel discussion of a sensitive and timely subject.

Can We Give Peace A Chance?: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nonviolence, and Dealing with Terror in the Post-9/11 Era
Presenter: John Ruff, Assistant Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
VUCA 1422

This session features a lecture that will explore the roots and relate some success stories of nonviolent civil disobedience as a strategy for social and political action. We will consider together how Martin Luther King, were he alive today, would have us think about fighting terrorism in the post-9/11 age.

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