Week for Peace Events Honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges and renowned poet Nikki Giovanni will be the featured guests during the 25th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week for Peace, sponsored by Tulane, Xavier, Loyola and Dillard universities from Jan. 17–21.

The Week for Peace celebrates the life of King through community service, song, dance and unity of the higher education community in New Orleans.

Giovanni will be the keynote speaker at a convocation on Wednesday (Jan. 19). Giovanni is an American poet, writer, commentator, civil rights activist and educator. The author of more than 30 books for adults and children, her autobiography Gemini was a finalist for the National Book Award. Giovanni is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech.

Ruby Bridges Hall, who was six years old in 1960 when she became a symbol of the civil rights movement by integrating the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, will receive a lifetime achievement award at the convocation.

Other Week for Peace events include:

• Monday (Jan. 17), Community Service Day, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., locations around New Orleans. Buses depart Tulane at McAlister and Freret Streets at 7:30 a.m. To register, e-mail Desirée Anderson or call 504-865-5181.

• Wednesday (Jan. 19), convocation, 5 p.m., Loyola University, Roussell Hall. An opening reception will be held from 5–5:45 p.m., and the convocation begins at 6 p.m.

• Thursday (Jan. 20), Expressions of Unity Talent Showcase, 7 p.m., Dillard University, Cook Auditorium. The evens is a celebration of King's life through song, drama, dance, music and the spoken word.

• Friday (Jan. 21), Stepping for the Dream, 7 p.m., Tulane University, McAlister Auditorium. University teams will compete at a step-off event. Members of the winning team will have money donated to the charity of their choice.