Southwestern College will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16, with a couple of events.  Community members, along with Southwestern College students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend and there is no admission charge. 

Professor Reggie Jarrell will present “Dreams, Hope, and Service” at noon in the Pounds Lounge, located on the lower level of the Roy L. Smith Student Center. Jarrell will share excerpts from his own memoir “31 Days (Nights): Memoir of Living Black in America” along with observations from his life. Jarrell has worked as a pastor, lawyer, communications professional, and university professor. He has lived and worked in Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois and Rock Island. His writing shares scenes from these vast and varied life experiences and reflects on the nature of racial sensitivity and how race affects interpersonal behavior.

Jarrell’s book, published in 2022 by Blue Cedar Press in Wichita, is a collection of snapshots in the form of essays. Both the book and his presentation draw on his life as a journey of reflection, revelation, and inspiration.

Coffee and Pastries will be provided. The event is co-hosted by Campus Life and the Division of Computer Science, Communication and English.

Also on Monday, from 2-3:30 p.m., and 7-8:30 p.m., Dawn Pleas will lead an interactive experience that will challenge participants to consider the small and big ways that they can make the world a better place. The gathering and collective work will honor the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. Campus and community members are invited to attend either the afternoon or evening session which will both be held in Richardson Performing Arts Center.