In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into federal law —honoring a man who lost his life in pursuit of a desegregated United States of America.

Ohio University Southern invites the public to attend their annual celebration of King’s life Monday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Bowman Auditorium on campus.

The event will include participation from Boy Scout Troup 106, Yvonne DeKay School of Dance, Voices of Faith, Kim Coburn; a special reading by Mitzi Sinnott, announcement of the annual MLK Essay Contest participants and more.

Refreshments will be served after the program.

Robert Pleasant, director of enrollment and student services at OUS, said the event, is designed to show how far American society has come.

“I think we have made a lot of progress in our community,” Pleasant said. “But this gives us a chance to reflect on Dr. King’s philosophies and continue to move forward. It is also worth noting that President Obama is being sworn into office on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — another example to show us how far we have come.”

OUS will continue honoring King throughout the week with various events.

“Finding Our Common Ground,” part of the university’s Interfaith Dialougue Series will bring together a group of panelists from the Tri-State to create conversation of different faiths, traditions and beliefs Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. at the OUS Rotunda. Panelists are Rev. Kevin Dotts, South Point United Methodist Church; Rabbi Jean Eglinton, B’Nai Sholom Congregation; Rev. David Huffman, St. Joseph Catholic Church (Ironton); Dr. Majed Khader, Marshall University professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies and Rev. Damon Sneed, Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

The Brown Bag Concert Series continues the week’s celebrations Wednesday, Jan. 23 at noon with performances by Michelle Dotts and Rick Payne. The concert will take place at the OUS Rotunda.

The next event moves away from live entertainment and showcases a movie from filmmaker Stanley Nelson. The documentary “Freedom Riders” focuses on a band of civil rights activists. Showtime is Thursday, Jan. 24 at 2:30 p.m. at the Bowman Auditorium.

The week wraps up with a brunch and lecture event on Friday, Jan. 25 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the OUS Proctorville Center. The brunch’s theme is “The Beloved Community” and will feature guest speaker Pastor Samuel R. Moore from Full Gospel Assembly of Huntington, W.Va.

All events are free and open to the public. Those seeking more information can contact Robert Pleasant at 740-533-4600.