College of Law associate dean and professor Anna Williams Shavers will open UNL's observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday with a Jan. 18 keynote address.
Shavers will deliver "Dream Deferred" during the Chancellor's Program, 6 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Ballroom. The lecture will address current struggles for educational equality, immigration, health care reform and racial equality.
The program will also include the presentation of the chancellor's Fulfilling the Dream awards.
The Fulfilling the Dream awards are presented to individuals or groups who have contributed to the UNL community or the wider Lincoln community by their exemplary action in promoting the goals and vision of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This year's winners are Charlene Maxey-Harris for the campus award and T.J. McDowell for the Lincoln community award.
Maxey-Harris is the diversity librarian and an assistant professor in the University Libraries. She is responsible for working with faculty and staff to plan and implement the library's diversity initiatives.
McDowell worked as director of the Malone Community Center for 4 1/2 years. He resigned in December to take a job coordinating a $4.5 million federal grant for Lincoln Public Schools. The five-year grant is aimed at increasing LPS' graduation rate at Northeast, North Star and Lincoln high schools.
UNL's week-long observance of the MLK holiday continues through Jan. 22. The MLK events - including an immigration roundtable at 7 p.m., Jan. 19 in the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center - are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.
The roundtable, "Immigration in 21st Century America: Civil Rights or a Cancer on the Republic?" will include Becky Gould, executive director of Nebraska Appleseed; and Cody Hollist, assistant professor in Child, Youth and Family Studies.
The schedule of other activities includes:
Jan. 19 - 11:30 a.m., "Big Words, Strong Words" play featuring second-grade students from Clinton Elementary School, Gaughan Multicultural Center.
Jan. 20 - 3 p.m., "Leading the Dream" service learning project, Nebraska Union. Participants will volunteer at various sites around the community in honor of Dr. King's vision for community outreach. Registration required at unlmlkcommittee@gmail.com.
Jan. 22 - 7 p.m., "Strength is Ours," Afrikan People's Union MLK Banquet, Nebraska Union. Cost is $10 per person or $70 per table. For more information, contact Susie Brown at susie@huskers.unl.edu.