ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University’s Day of Service to remember the contributions of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. will now extend to a week of activities.
This year’s events, themed “Together, New Challenges and New Possibilities,” will last from Jan. 18-22. There are no Winthrop classes and offices are closed on the King federal holiday, which is observed on Jan. 18.
“We continue to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King through service at Winthrop,” said Kinyata Adams Brown, assistant dean for student diversity, engagement & inclusive excellence. “Although 2020 was a challenging year, we are able to work through new challenges and welcome new possibilities better together. This event is a good reminder of what we can accomplish together.”
Brown said students will register to participate in four service projects involving Pilgrims’ Inn, Tender Heart Ministries, Winthrop’s Campus and Community Involvement Committee tree planting and Winthrop’s Campus Green beautifications. Sign up here: https://winthrop.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_agDxrjo92W6E5x3.
The community service projects will accommodate 310 students, who will receive a service bag with a Winthrop-themed face mask honoring King. The group also will be collecting donations of canned food and cleaning supplies for Pilgrims’ Inn and blankets for York County Council on Aging.
On Jan. 18, organizers will make available, via the university’s diversity and student engagement website and social media channels, an MLK celebration video with special guest speaker Chelsea Brown ‘14, who works with the SEED School of Maryland in Baltimore. She raises funds and networks for the statewide, public, college-preparatory boarding school and has established a scholarship at Winthrop.
Angelo Geter ‘08, director of campus programming and the city of Rock Hill’s poet laureate, and the Vision of Prayze Gospel Choir also will perform for the celebration video.
Evening activities on Jan. 18 include an Alpha Phi Alpha MLK Virtual Vigil which will be posted on its Instagram @elitexiphi at 7:06 p.m.
Students also were encouraged to submit videos to the Office of Student Activities by Jan. 8 that showcase what King’s legacy means to them. The videos will be highlighted on the Office of Student Activities’ social media channels.
To follow Winthrop’s MLK activities on social media, search for #MLKServiceWeek2021.
Since 2000, the university has reserved MLK Day as a day of celebration, remembrance and service with a campus-wide event sponsored by various departments and organizations. Typically it is Winthrop’s largest one-day community service event.
The community service event is coordinated by Winthrop’s MLK Committee, which includes members from the Alumni Office, Student Activities, Residence Life, the Office of Diversity and Student Engagement, and students.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
