*** Editor’s Note: The following is a preview of two Martin Luther King Day events the Emerald will cover on Jan. 18-19. Check in throughout Monday and Tuesday for continuing coverage.
29th Annual MLK Day March
The Eugene/Springfield chapter of the NAACP will host its 29th annual MLK Day March on Monday, Jan. 18. The march begins at 10 a.m. with a pre-march kickoff event hosted by the University of Oregon at Autzen Stadium’s north gate at 9 a.m.
The event will feature talks from Mayor Kitty Piercy and UO provost Scott Coltrane as well as live gospel music. The march will lead participators to the Shedd Institute in downtown Eugene for a program put together by the NAACP
“I hope this march…can serve as a rallying call to stay in the fight for just and equitable future for all people,” said local NAACP chapter president Eric Richardson.
LTD said it will provide bus passes for those participating in the march in order to get people to and from the event or to cars parked elsewhere. Passes can be picked up at the Public Permits Building at 99 W 10th Ave.
The following day, April Ryan — White House Correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks — will give a keynote speech at the UO at 7 p.m. in Columbia Hall. She will speak about her experience covering the first black president and reflect on the current state of civil rights.
Information on the MLK Day March can be found on the NAACP website naacplanecounty.org. For more about Ryan’s speech, see the UO or Lane Community College events page or contact Greg Evans [email protected].
This story was submitted by incoming Emerald reporter Troy Shinn.
