Actor Danny Glover a keynote for MLK Week
Central Michigan University is gearing up for Martin Luther King Jr. Week’s keynote speaker — “Lethal Weapon” star and political activist Danny Glover.
The actor, along with friend Felix Justice, will present “An Evening with Martin and Langston.” The two will perform oratories from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Langston Hughes, and connect the message to their own lives.
The event, hosted by Minority Student Services, will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium. It is free to the public.
Lester Booker, Minority Student Services interim assistant director, said Glover and Justice were chosen to speak from a list of candidates gathered throughout last year.
“We don’t want to get in a pattern of speakers,” Booker said. “We saw this great opportunity, contacted his agents, they accepted and here he is.”
Booker hopes this event will unify the campus and the community.
Lending a hand
Salma Ghanem, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, said if an office needs financial help with an event, it may reach out to other offices and organizations for assistance.
Minority Student Services used that collaborative approach in bringing Glover and Justice to campus for $27,500.
“They absolutely have helped us out with CCFA events in the past,” Ghanem said of Minority Student Services. “Definitely.”
In addition to the CCFA, the Office of Residence Life also contributed, among a number of others.
Associate Director of Residence Life Joan Schmidt said Residence Life thought it would be a great event and a good opportunity to offer support. She hopes on-campus residents will come but, also, a large number of other students and community members. She hopes all will take away valuable information from the performance.
Glover is not only an actor and producer, but is heavily active in politics and human rights, according to those bringing him. He also is a spokesperson for Political Rap, an organization designed to encourage young adults to be politically active and utilize their voting rights.
“CMU is very fortunate to get a speaker like him at such an opportune, demanding time on their schedule,” Schmidt said.
