Bennett College honors the birthday and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Every year in January, Bennett College takes time to celebrate and recognize the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the world’s greatest champions for freedom, justice and equality.
In 2018, Bennett honored Dr. King’s legacy in several ways.
On Friday, January 12, at First Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., Bennett professor Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson participated in a “Lighting the Unity Candle” ceremony at the 2018 North Carolina State Employees’ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance Program and John R. Larkins Award Ceremony.
On Saturday, January 13, Bennett College President Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins gave remarks at a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance sponsored by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church’s Justice and Reconciliation Commission on Religion and Race. The event was held in The Global Learning Center on campus.
Also on Saturday, the Bennett College Concert Choir, under the direction of Dorthea L. Taylor, performed at the 13th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Worship Service at St. James Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.
And junior Belle Faven-Jewel Post, a member of the Bennett College class of 2019, was a marshal for the Martin Luther King, Jr. United Methodist Church Worship Service held in the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel on the 13th.
On Monday, January 15, Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson was a panelist, along with Bennett College Board of Trustee member Andrea Harris, at the NAACP/MLK, Jr. Day of Service Program at the Old Mary Potter Gymnasium in Oxford, N.C.
Also on the 15th, Bennett alumnae attended The Pulpit Forum’s Community Service event at Genesis Baptist Church in Greensboro. As well, Bennett alumns Yolande Johnson (class of ’83), Lieutenant Stephanie Mardis (class of ’00), and board of trustee member Senator Gladys Robinson (class of ’71) attended the Greensboro Human Relations Commission Memorial Breakfast Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Koury Convention Center.
The Office of Campus Life, in conjunction with Miss Bennett College and The Royal Court, spearheaded and participated in several community service opportunities over the MLK weekend.
On Saturday, January 13, they held a Cleanup Project at Gillespie Park, and Miss Bennett College, Niquia Harris, members of The Royal Court, members of Bennett’s Student Government Association and 10 Belles participated. On Monday, January 15, Miss Bennett, members of The Royal Court, members of Bennett’s SGA and 15 Belles participated in volunteer opportunities at Four Seasons Town Centre. Also on the 15, Miss Bennett, Royal Court and SGA members and 10 Belles participated in the ongoing Bennett College “No Sew Blankets and Pillows” initiative, which involves students making blankets and pillows for homeless people. Approximately 25 to 30 blankets and pillows have been made, and they will soon be distributed to homeless people on the street.
