Public broadcasting host Tavis Smiley will be the keynote speaker as Northwestern University observes Martin Luther King Day next Monday.
Smiley is the host of a daily late-night talk show on PBS and a weekly radio show distributed by Public Radio International as well as the author of 14 books.
He’ll speak at Pick-Staiger concert hall at noon on Monday. Tickets are available to NU students and staff at the Norris Box Office, with remaining tickets available to the general public starting Friday.
Other Martin Luther King day events include a production of “North Star.” Written by Northwestern alum Gloria Bond Clunie, it provides a chronicle of the 1960 Greensboro, N.C., sit-ins. The script won the 1994 Theodore Ward Prize for African-American Playwriting.
“North Star” will be performed at 3 p.m. on Monday at the Ethel M. Barber Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive. The event is free. Reservations are recommended.
On Saturday, Jan. 15, students will participate in service projects in recognition of Dr. King’s community-building work.
And on Sunday, Jan 16, the Northwestern Community Development Corps will hold community organizer training. Students will learn the skill of public narrative, how to motivate others to action, how to tell their own personal story as a leader, how to build community by identifying shared values and developing shared purpose, and how to structure a campaign and leadership teams.