Ohio University Southern is hosting several events this month to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Beginning Jan. 17-Feb. 18, campus student organizations will host a donation drive to support the Bobcat Share Box. Needed items are school supplies, toiletries and non-perishable food items. Donations can be made on campus in the Office of Student Services, Collins Building, or the Nursing Office, Academic Building.

For more information, contact Lisa Cantrell at cantrel1@ohio.edu or 740-533-4543.

At 7 p.m. on Jan. 18, OHIO Southern and Regional Higher Education are sponsoring featured speaker Dr. Bernard Lafayette. Lafayette, one of the original Freedom Fighters, is an American civil rights activist, organizer, and a leader of the civil rights movement. He played a leading role in early organizing of the Selma voting rights movement; was a member of the Nashville Student Movement; and worked closely throughout the 1960s movements with groups such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the American Friends Service Committee. Moderator for this event is the Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr.

This event is virtual and registration is required at ohio.edu/southern/mlk

At 1 p.m. on Jan. 19, the Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer (“Bishop Mike”) will share his experiences and history and lead a conversation through his Seven Steps to End Racism.  He currently serves as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia.

The event is virtual and registration is required at ohio.edu/southern/mlk

During the week of Jan. 24, the 2022 MLK Writing Contest winners will be announced. Students were asked to write a poem on a contemporary social topic involving peace or protest that they felt would have gotten Dr. King’s attention were he still alive today. During this presentation, students will share their work.

This event will be prerecorded and aired on Southern’s television station and shared on social media.

A community reading of King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has been rescheduled to April 4. More information about this event can be found at ohio.edu/southern/mlk