Dr. Claude Louishomme
associate professor of political science, 308.865.8629
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a candlelight vigil will be held in the Atrium of the Nebraskan Student Union at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21.
“Like the Fourth of July and other national commemorations, the King holiday helps us to remember and reaffirm our core ideals, the battles that our forefathers and foremothers fought, the progress that we have made, and the challenges that remain,” Dr. Louishomme said.
The vigil, which is free and open to the public, will include a skit by students highlighting the events that led to Dr. King’s incarceration in the Birmingham jail, as well as a reading of Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The vigil is hosted by members of the Black Students Association.
“Later in the vigil there will be an open invitation for audience members to share their experience with race and/or discrimination,” Dr. Louishomme said. “The session will be followed by a discussion of Dr. King’s dream for the United States and equality today.”
“Knowing our past helps us to better understand the present and, hopefully, enables us to build a better future,” said Dr. Claude Louishomme, associate professor of political science.
“As such, remembering Dr. King and the thousands of other people who sacrificed to force our country to abandon its long-established, deeply rooted, and pervasive systems of oppression of African Americans and other peoples of color is critically important for the ongoing drive to make the United States a more perfect union,” he said.
