The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will honor the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of events Jan. 20-24.
The weeklong celebration will offer events for students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the Lincoln community.
-Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m.: Martha Redbone Presents Bone Hill: The Concert, Kimball Recital Hall. Martha Redbone is an American blues and soul singer of part Cherokee, Choctaw, European and African-American descent. Her music is a mix of rhythm and blues, soul music influences and traditional Native American music. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.liedcenter.org/event/martha-redbone-presents-bone-hill-concert.
-Jan. 24, 2 to 3 p.m.: Telling Our Stories, Lied Center Commons. Martha Redbone and Nebraska’s Margaret Huettl, assistant professor of history and ethnic studies, invite the community into conversation about where we come from and who we want to be.
The week was kicked off with an MLK Brunch with civil rights activist Ruby Bridges on Jan. 22.
In 1960, when Bridges was only six years old, she became one of the first black children to integrate New Orleans’ all-white public school system. Greeted by an angry mob and escorted by federal marshals, Bridges bravely crossed the threshold of William Frantz Elementary School and initiated the desegregation of New Orleans’ public schools.
Her walk to the front door was immortalized in Norman Rockwell’s infamous painting “The Problem We All Live With,” Robert Coles’ “The Story of Ruby Bridges” and the Disney movie “Ruby Bridges.” Bridges has also published her own award-winning version of her story, “Through My Eyes.”