Ohio University Southern and its Council on Diversity and Inclusion will honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a special Community Celebration at the Ironton campus on Thursday.

This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women of the Movement.” The event will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The celebration event will feature special presentations by Natalie Adams, a member of the South Point High School Board of Education; Purba Das, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication for Ohio University Southern; and, Juli Stephens, Field Representative for U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson.

The evening will also include special musical performances and the announcement of the winners of the annual MLK essay contest. Refreshments will be served immediately following the program.

“Diversity is a core institutional value at Ohio University Southern,” Robert Pleasant, associate director of Ohio Southern Student Resource Commons, said. “These activities help us to focus on Dr. King’s ideals for inclusion and equality,” he said.

Pleasant said the community celebration is part of the campus’ commitment to honor the legacy of Dr. King.”

The campus will also host a Student Leadership Luncheon to foster an atmosphere of solidarity. In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s bridge-building work, this luncheon will serve as an opportunity for honest conversation within the campus community. The luncheon is by reservation and will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22.

A free showing of the film, “All the Way,” is scheduled for noon on Thursday, Jan. 23.  The film details the struggle Dr. King and President Lyndon B. Johnson faced in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The showing is hosted by Deborah Marinski, Ph.D., in collaboration with her spring semester class, “1960s in the U.S.A.: Decade of Controversy.”  The film will be shown in the Student Resource Commons Success Center. It is free to attend and is open to the public.

Ohio Southern student organizations are conducting an MLK Donation Drive through Feb. 28. Non-perishable food items, toiletries, and school supplies are being collected across campus for the Bobcats Share Box, a project to help address food insecurity for Ohio Southern students.

For more information, please contact Robert Pleasant at 740-533-4608.