UMaine Plaza to Honor Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — A grand opening and dedication for the Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Memorial Plaza will take place at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31. The granite and brick park, located beside the Memorial Union, will feature a series of quotes from the civil rights leader. Opening festivities include a performance of freedom songs and slave narratives by Reggie and Kim Harris. Among those who will be speaking at the event are UMaine philosophy professor Doug Allen and Joe Perry, president of the Bangor area chapter of the NAACP. An accompanying exhibit of images from the civil rights movement by renowned photographer Charles Moore will take place in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union. The photographs are on loan from Bill Kuykendall, a UMaine senior lecturer in new media.
Robert Dana, UMaine’s dean of students, says it is the university’s responsibility to educate its students — both in and outside the classroom — about issues of diversity and tolerance. “This is important for our students because it provides an opportunity for continuous reflection. It will be educative, but inspiring and hopefully motivating people to do all the good they can do for all the people they can,” he says.