PLATTSBURGH — As Black History Month kicks off, the SUNY Plattsburgh Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the Clinton County MLK Committee will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the Warren Ballrooms, Angell College Center.
Longtime award-winning Press-Republican Staff Writer Robin Caudell will be the featured speaker.
“We are excited about the message that Robin Caudell will share,” Allison Heard, vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the college, said.
“Robin is a staple in the Clinton County community, and she has provided insight into many issues in the local and regional area. Because she covers so many different stories, people do not realize that she is an accomplished writer and storyteller in her own right. She has traveled the world and has seen many things. She is a living example of how we must honor our heroes and sheroes while they are still alive.”
COMMUNITIES IN ACTION
The theme of the celebration will be, “Communities in Action: Empowering the Dream.”
The program will include a welcome from Heard and Brett Carpenter, chair of the Martin Luther King Commission, as well as select readings, poetry, and thoughts from SUNY Plattsburgh President Alexander Enyedi.
The Plattsburgh State Gospel Choir will perform musical selections.
Collaborating with the MLK Commission, “moves the needle on Pillars Three and Four of the Plattsburgh Next Strategic Plan to enhance equity and to deepen our relationship with our North Country neighbors,” Heard said.
This year’s event on Sunday marks the first time it will be held in February, during Black History Month, and after students have returned for the semester.
For the first year since the Clinton County MLK Committee has been hosting and organizing this event, it will be held on a day other than the third Monday in January when the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is normally celebrated.
“One of the bonuses I see in the date being moved is the opportunity for SUNY Plattsburgh students, other students of all ages from across the region, business and political leaders, community members, and families to participate,” Heard said.
DIFFERENT VENUE
Normally students are not on campus when the celebration is held because classes start later in January.
The committee made a decision to change the date since there was a conflict with the presidential inauguration being held on the same day.
“We rescheduled the MLK celebration from Jan. 20 this year so we would not conflict with anyone who wanted to focus on the Presidential Inauguration, and we moved the location to SUNY Plattsburgh in order to accommodate a larger audience,” Holly Heller-Ross said.
In previous years, the event was held at the Saint John XXIII Newman Center on Broad Street near the campus.
“The other thing I believe is a bonus this year is the venue,” Heard said.
“The Newman Center has been a wonderful location for this event and it provides a warm setting. This year the event will be hosted on the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh in the Warren Ballrooms. The event location is great because it provides space to accommodate larger numbers of attendees with extra parking space.”
IMPORTANT TIME FOR EVENT
Enyedi praised the collaboration between the commission and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Enyedi said it is fitting that the event is being held on the university campus, appropriate for “reflection on the values Dr. King stood for: equity, justice and the power of collective action.”
“We are living in a time in our society when we can continue to embrace and love one another or we can fight and turn against each other,” he said.
Heard echoed those sentiments.
“At SUNY Plattsburgh, we choose to embrace and include one another because the message of Dr. King calls for us to be inclusive and respectful of each other if we are to achieve his dream,” she said.
The College Center Ballrooms are perfect not only because of the size but because of the atmosphere as well, Heard said.
“In addition, the venue is a very warm setting and features flags from around the world, hanging in the ballrooms, as a symbol of the many countries that have been represented by students who have studied at SUNY Plattsburgh along the years,” she said.
“This is important because it re-emphasizes SUNY Plattsburgh’s commitment to expanding access and opportunity for people to receive an education in an inclusive environment. Everyone at SUNY Plattsburgh matters and we believe that being educated about others expands awareness about ourselves.”
The university setting also creates, “opportunities for students and community members to connect, learn and be inspired by (King’s) enduring message,” Enyedi said.