News Release

Diversity series features daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.

January 26, 2010

A March 2 appearance by the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. highlights Penn State Harrisburg’s five-installment 2010 diversity lecture series.

Bernice A. King, the youngest daughter of Rev. King and the late Coretta Scott King, will highlight the second annual Women for Diversity Award Dinner at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Tickets for the dinner and lecture are $90. For information on the 5:30 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. lecture, phone 717-948-6180.

Bernice King, known worldwide as a powerful motivational speaker, began her oratorical journey at age 17 when she spoke in her mother’s stead at the United Nations. Over the years, she has spoken at the White House, numerous colleges and universities, and in countries throughout the world.

The remaining presentations in the annual lecture series, hosted by the college’s Diversity and Educational Equity Committee, will be on campus and are free and open to the public. Entitled “Dreams, Realities, Connecting Cultures and Communities,” the commemorative series is conducted each year in memory of the Rev. Dr. King.

Supporting Penn State Harrisburg’s commitment to foster community dialog on issues while providing a forum for the exchange of diverse perspectives, the series begins February 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gallery Lounge on campus with an appearance by Harrisburg’s Kingdom Embassy Prophetic Mime Ministry.

Founded in 2000 by Paulet Hibner and Thomasina Brown, the group uses facial expression, body movements, flags, and dramatic skits to portray the message of love and peace throuogh song and dance.

On February 16 at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m., the Gallery Lounge will also play host to Native American lecturer, musician, and artist Frank LittleBear.  A writer for national and international publications who has appeared on numerous network television and radio programs, LittleBear has dedicated his life to researching the histories and customs of Native American peoples.

Following the March 2 Bernice King, the series continues March 24 with a 6:30 p.m. Gallery Lounge presentation by Patricia Turner, vice provost of undergraduate studies at the University of California-Davis. A faculty member in the African and African American Studies and American Studies programs, Davis recently completed her fourth book, Crafted Lives: Stories and Studies of African American Quilters. Her earlier books include Whispers on the Color Line: Rumor and Race in America, Ceramic Uncles and Celluloid Mammies: Black Images and Their Influence on Culture, and I Heard It Through the Grapevine: Rumor in African American Culture.

The concluding installment in the series April 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gallery Lounge, will feature the Harrisburg-based Nathaniel Gadsden Writer’s Wordshop. The presentation, entitled “A Community of Many Voices,” features original works from area poets who explore life, love, relationships, crime, recovery, family, God, and many other issues that have impacted their lives. The performance is intended to inspire conversation and will include a question-and-answer session.