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Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware Community to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy with Special Events

Ohio Wesleyan University and the Delaware County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special worship service and community breakfast. The university also will host several additional events to explore ways to “Be the Dream.”

This year’s observance will begin with the 23rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day worship service at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 20, at First Presbyterian Church, 73 W. Winter St.

On Monday, Jan. 21, the community is invited to continue the celebration of the civil rights leader’s legacy with the 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast celebration at 8 a.m. in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave. Individual breakfast tickets are $15, with eight-person table sponsorships available for $120. For reservations, contact Theresa Byrd at (740) 368-3246.

Frank W. Hale Jr., Ph.D.

Hale earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska and his doctorate in communication and political science from Ohio State. He worked in higher education for 54 years and held full professorships at Central State University (Ohio), Oakwood College (Alabama), and Ohio State.

Before joining the OSU staff, Hale was president of Oakwood College. At Ohio State, he served as associate dean and chairman of the fellowship committee of the graduate school and later as vice provost for minority affairs. After his retirement, he was appointed a distinguished university representative and consultant in the president’s office. OSU’s Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, which opened in 1989, recognizes his achievements as a teacher, scholar, administrator, author, and college president.

Throughout his career, Hale served on many regional and national boards, including the United Negro College Fund, Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity), and the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission.

He has authored and edited 11 books and published more than 50 articles in professional journals. Recent publications include his autobiography, “Angels Watching Over Me”; his best seller, “What Makes Diversity Work in Higher Education”; and “Black Colleges Empower Black Students: Lessons for Higher Education.”

Also to honor King’s legacy, Ohio Wesleyan will host several events throughout the day on Jan. 21 to allow people to discuss and share their insights on how to live his dream. These special events are free and open to the public.

• Food for Thought and for the Soul, a brown bag luncheon featuring Aaron Granger, a 1993 OWU graduate and a respected attorney. Granger will discuss how he lives King’s dream and how others can achieve the dream as well. The event will be held at noon in Benes Room A of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.
• Dreams in the Beloved Community, a King-inspired discussion to explore ways to fulfill being the dream within the community. The discussion will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Internet Café in Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave.
• Peace Celebration Ceremony, a special event featuring OWU students and employees sharing messages of peace and demonstrating how they personify King’s dream. Song, dance, poetry, skits, and more will be incorporated. The evening also will include a “Prayer for Peace.” The ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Benes Rooms A and B of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center.
• Dream Quilt, an opportunity for people to explain how they embody King’s dream by sharing their visions, thoughts, and insights on squares of multicolored fabric that will be sewn into a dream quilt. Fabric will be available throughout the day in the atrium of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center and at the information desk of Beeghly Library.