MLK Day 2022: New Date and Time

Tuesday, January 18 at 11:30 a.m.

Penn State Scranton celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day each year to honor the life and work of civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., and to recognize the campus' commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Join us in-person or online. Registration is required.

If you haven't already registered for the in-person or remote offerings, you can still join us, as we'll be broadcasting the event live on our Facebook page. The event begins at 11:30 a.m., so try to tune in a few minutes before then.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.

Our Keynote Speaker

We are very honored to announce our Keynote Speaker will be Bettie Mae Fikes. In 1963 she protested during the voting rights struggle in Selma. Her powerful singing voice inspired Blacks in Selma to fight for equality. Bettie has been dubbed as “the voice of Selma,” and is a celebrated icon of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement.

Sponsored by Barnes and Noble and Prudential

bettie mae files the voice of selma

2022 MLK Day Celebration Keynote Speaker Biography

Bettie Mae Fikes was born in Selma, Alabama, and began singing gospel alongside her mother at age four. At the age of 16, she became a student leader for the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the Civil Rights Movement, emerging as a music leader. She was jailed for several weeks in 1963 for protesting during the voting rights struggle in Selma.

She has graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, the Newport Jazz Festival and the Library of Congress. Fikes is a recipient of the Long Walk to Freedom Award and has recently been inducted into the Smithsonian Institute’s ‘Museum of Tolerance,’ in an exhibition honoring women of the Civil Rights Movement.

Bettie Fikes’ powerful singing voice inspired Blacks in Selma to fight for equality. Fikes has been dubbed as “the voice of Selma”, and is a celebrated icon of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement.
 

Image: Penn State

MLK Day Event Agenda

Please join us in the Sherbine Lounge, ground floor of Study Learning Center at the Penn State Scranton Campus, 120 Ridgeview Drive, Dunmore on Tuesday, January 18, 2022.  View Campus Map

  • Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. Light refreshments will be served.
  • Each year, two Excellence in Diversity Awards are given during the ceremony: one to a member of the campus community, and another to a local community member or organization who shows a commitment to diversity. 
  • Keynote Speaker Bettie Mae Fikes.
  • The break-out sessions have been cancelled.
  • The opportunity to volunteer your time with a few local community organizations has been cancelled.

Option to view online is also available. Registration is required to receive the link.

Register to Attend