Elizabethtown College is holding a month-long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by offering the campus community a series of events and workshops to honor King’s commitment to creating a just and peaceful future as part of the 2023 “Beloved Community Collective.”
The campus community is encouraged to attend events and workshops from Jan. 17 to Feb. 7, 2023 for a series of discussions focused on fostering a healthy and inclusive culture on our campus, self-love, and relationship building.
The name “Beloved Community Collective” was derived from Dr. King’s speech delivered at a rally in 1956 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to desegregate the seats on Montgomery busses, “ the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends. It is this type of understanding goodwill that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
35th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast – And how are the Children … Now? | Monday, Jan. 16 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. | Millersville University, Student Memorial Center
Featuring Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. Etown encourages students to get involved in their community and take positive action, to carry on Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and equity, and to renew their commitment by giving back to the community. On Monday, Jan. 16, and the days surrounding, we invite you to support those who are food insecure, clean up a public area, or mentor a young person.
Beloved Community Collective Programming
Annual National Day of Racial Healing Livestream and Follow-up Discussion with Darcey Mills | Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. | The KAV
Racial healing restores individuals and communities to wholeness, repairs the damage caused by racism, facilitates trust, builds authentic relationships, and bridges divides. Racial healing is at the heart of racial equity – the people’s work that leads to community, organizational, and systems transformation.
The Way of Tea, the Way of Life: Embracing and Appreciating Each Other with Dr. Nobuaki Takahashi | Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. | Hoover 214
During this presentation, learn about the brief history of tea and the essential notion of appreciation toward the world, nature, the seasons, and the people. One of the tea procedures will be demonstrated and tea-tasting will be provided for those who would like to try it.
Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging, Employee Affinity Groups Informational Luncheon | Thursday, Jan. 19 at noon | Hoover 110 (RSVP Required)
Employee Affinity Groups (EAGs) are part of Elizabethtown College’s collective efforts to leverage diversity and ensure that employees experience a greater sense of engagement and belonging. EAGs associated with the office of Diversity Equity and Belonging are formed around historically marginalized identities, such as gender Equity, BIPOC, LGBTQ, ability, and neurodiverse. Community members interested in EAG groups outside of this purview should contact relevant campus areas for guidance. Please RSVP by Jan. 9 for the informational luncheon at DEB@etown.edu.
MLK’s Principles of Non-violence and do They Work? with Amy Shorner-Johnson | Thursday, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. | McCormick Classroom, High Library
Join us as we explore the six principles of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s nonviolent strategies and explore the goals, realities, and engagement with the three named powers that keep us from achieving the Beloved Community: Poverty, Racism, and Militarism.
Storyteller Odd?Rod | Thursday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. | The KAV
Odd?Rod, a 20-year veteran of performance proves that his message is more important than his words by leaving audiences across the country inspired to push beyond adversity. Documenting his journey in a series of poems proved to be lifesaving for him and he has made it his mission to help others. His transparent storytelling style of performing and rhythmic cadence captivates listeners by providing in-depth observations of surviving traumatic events using dedication and determination. He continues to prove the power of perseverance by constantly completing goals while empowering others to do the same.
La Mesa: Unpacking Afro-Latino Identities with Kayshen Morel | Friday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. | McCormick Classroom, High Library
Join the dialogue regarding Afro-Latino identity and intersectionality being led by counseling services’ newest team member, Kayshen Morel. This discussion will break down intergenerational trauma, self-love/self-hate, and the impacts of Spanish colonialism, along with aspects of colorism in Latinx communities that should be taken into account as they relate to practices that uphold white supremacy.
Restorative Practices Three-Part Training with Gabbie Reed | Monday, Jan. 23 & 30 from 4 to 6 p.m., and Feb. 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. | Hoover 110
The introductory training introduces students, staff, and faculty to applicable language, theories, skills, and methods to apply for handling conflict and harm in their respective roles and settings. The certificate provides the basis for further training in specific forms of restorative practices utilizing activity-based learning in pairs and small groups, with presentations, storytelling, role plays, and facilitated discussion on: 1.) Conflict & Harm, Concepts and Skills, 2.) Culture, Inclusion & Restorative Practices, 3.) Mindful and Active Listening. The training concludes with a listening session on the needs at Elizabethtown College for developing restorative practices.
Meeting Military Force with Soul Force: Poems that Speak Truth to Power by Jesse Waters | Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. | McCormick Classroom, High Library
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote, “The major problem of life is learning how to handle the costly interruptions. The door that slams shut, the plan that got sidetracked, the marriage that failed. Or that lovely poem that didn’t get written because someone knocked on the door.” In this presentation, explore three poems from the amazing anthology, TRUTH TO POWER (“Black on a Saturday Night,” by Rita Dove; “The Future is Queer,” by Fiona Martin and “The Colonel,” by Carolyn Forche) in an effort to make space for poems during a special time of the year, and to perhaps better understand what it means to express one’s experience – the ostracized, the marginalized, and the terrified – under the stress of finding safe and recognized social location.
Rich Storytelling & Community Building with Mike Shook | Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. | McCormick Classroom, High Library
In this interactive workshop, explore how the stories we tell about ourselves, and others create and limit possibilities for genuine connection and social change. We will consider author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s concept of, “the danger of a single story” and communally discern what current stories about ourselves and Etown are creating or limiting the possibility of a Beloved Community in our midst.
Harm or Heal: Intentional Language with Nichole Gonzalez and Dr. Kesha Morant Williams | Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. | Gibble Auditorium
From microaggressions to hate speech, harmful language choices move well beyond offense and hurt feelings. Harmful language threatens human dignity and reifies oppressive patterns of thought and behavior. Elizabethtown College affirms the values of peace, nonviolence, social justice, and human dignity. Intentional language choices are an example of our commitment to these values. This community conversation focuses on the language spectrum (i.e., violent language, coded language, unquestioned language, minimizing language, and liberating language) and challenges our community to use affirming and inclusive language with intentionality.
Co-Creating Beloved Community through Playback Theatre with Chris Fitz, Adjunct Professor, and River Crossing Playback Ensemble | Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. | Tempest Theatre
Join us to witness, explore and honor the many views and stories that can co-create Beloved Community. Using a ritualized and embodied improvisation called, “Playback Theatre,” we will invite the audience’s experiences of community to be expressed and played back by the ensemble in what will become a dialogue – both with and beyond words. This interactive theatre form, practiced in more than 40 countries, provides a space to share and practice the nitty gritty of justice, allyship, and respectful engagement with conflict and harm as we build that Beloved Community, conversation by conversation. Check out RiverCrossingPlayback.org, a local performing company with Etown connections.
Cultural Kindness in Viral Social Media Moments with Maria Petty | Thursday, Jan. 26 at 11 a.m. | McCormick Classroom, High Library
Examine different viral social media moments as we ask the questions, “Why are they such a big deal?”, “Why does this moment matter?”, and “What we can learn from the moment?”
Ubuntu Mentor Museum Visit (Group of 10) | Saturday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | National Museum of African American History and Culture (RSVP Required)
Limited to 10 participants. Shuttle leaves campus at 7 a.m. for a scheduled 10 a.m. visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, followed by dinner at Busboys and Poets – a restaurant, bookstore, and community gathering place. Please register by emailing Darcey Mills by Jan. 21.
What Would MLK Say Today: Is the Christian Church a Beloved Community? with Dr. Jean Pretz, Dr. Bob Aronson, and Dr. Conrad Kanagy | Monday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. | Hoover 110
In this panel discussion, local faith leaders will share their experiences living out Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s call to form the Beloved Community in America today. A moderated discussion will explore how Dr. King’s commitment to addressing the problems of racial discrimination, militarism, poverty, and other issues of social justice are present or lacking in today’s Christian communities.
Healing Our Roots with Jihan Owens-Tyler | Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. | Hoover 214
This session will briefly discuss the residual effects and presentation of familial trauma, and how it can resurface in college or later in life. Examples and steps will be identified as well as suggested strategies for coping skills to assist one experiencing this.
Black History Month Knowledge Journey | Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Campus Wide, BSC Concourse
Do you know how Black History Month celebrated the contributions and achievements of African Americans to the country? Africans first came to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries, which is when African American history began. History is a significant component of international history in addition to having an enormous value in American history. Scan QR codes across campus, and you may discover some fascinating facts about this noteworthy month by taking the Black History Month trivia quiz. Stop by the BSC to help create solidarity posters to be on display all month!
Black History Month Flag Raising and Performance by the Crispus Attucks Infamous Unstoppables Drill Team and Drum Squad | Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m. | BSC Concourse and The KAV
The Pan-African flag is a symbol of liberation and pride. Raising this flag signifies a month-long celebration of education and social events. The visit from this local student group will include college enrichment and educational experience with the Ubuntu Mentors. The collaboration between Etown and Crispus Attucks will also feature BHM events each Saturday of the month at the Crispus Attucks Community Center in Lancaster.
Beloved Community Collective Keynote Address by Judge Jodie Richardson | Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. | Susquehanna Room (RSVP Required)
Judge Richardson has lived in Lancaster City all of her life and is familiar with the regional culture and climate and is able to relate to and serve her community with trust, respect, intellect, firmness, and compassion. Judge Richardson upholds the law by being trustworthy, respectful, equitable, and equal at all times. She makes sure that all parties are given the opportunity to be heard, to fully state their case, to be treated equally and with respect, and that they are all informed about the legal process. Judge Richardson is a major supporter of restorative justice, youth aid panels, judicial advocacy, services for people facing mental disabilities, treatment for substance abusers, and advocacy for the law.
“Running for Magisterial District Judge was both an honor and my duty to position myself as a public servant for the improvement and enhancement of my community. I am principled, forthright, and will always operate with integrity.” – Judge Jodie Richardson, Magisterial District Judge, Lancaster, PA 02-2-01 District (3rd & 7th wards) Jan. 2018.
Registration is required for this event. Please email DEB@etown.edu to RSVP.
Black Is: The Blackness Project with Gene Thomas | Thursday, Feb. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. | Gibble Auditorium
Black Is: The Blackness Project with Gene Thomas will bring together a panel of Black Elizabethtown College employees to discuss their experiences of being Black, their lives, their work, their joys, and their understanding of community. The panel will serve as a post-discussion after the showing of The Blackness Project (2018) a feature-length documentary film about culture and race from the African American and other minority perspectives, directed by Korey Green. Both the film and the discussion will serve as a way for those in attendance to think about how not only Black people share and occupy different places and spaces, but also how making and creating space for Black people can be transformative.
“From Equity Talk to Equity Walk,” Book Discussion with Dr. Kesha Morant Williams, Nichole Gonzalez, and Dr. Susan Mapp | Friday, Feb. 3 from noon to 2 p.m. | Jay’s Lounge (RSVP Required)
“From Equity Talk to Equity Walk” is an action-oriented guide on how to help increase equity in higher education. This book discussion is designed to start conversations on how Elizabethtown College can create action steps to help achieve the goals set out in its Strategic Plan theme of Inclusive Excellence and develop individual and institutional accountability measures.
All faculty and staff are welcome to attend the book discussion. If you are interested in participating in the discussion, please RSVP by Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023.
Tie Dye in Solidarity | Monday, Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | BSC Concourse
Join us for a Tie Dye in Solidarity event where students can provide a t-shirt or pair of socks to tie die and take home. Black History Month aims to increase awareness of the knowledge, culture, and heritage of Black people. It also encourages others to study and share new information by normalizing dialogues that are typically avoided. Black represents the melanin-rich skin color of Africans or people of African descent and our shared identity. Yellow represents the sun, prosperity, optimism, justice, and equality for all people. Green symbolizes Mother Nature, Africa’s rich greenery, and other God-given natural resources. Red symbolizes blood and history; the excruciating bloodshed people of color underwent during the battle against slavery, racism, and colonialism.
“The Sky is Deeper Than the Sea” Book Discussion with Tyné Angela Freeman | Monday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. | McCormick Classroom, High Library
Students are invited to join us for this classroom-based engagement opportunity with Tyné Angela Freeman work spans songwriting, ethnomusicology, recording, and authorship. Her album and text, “The Sky is Deeper Than the Sea,” considers aspects of trauma, transcendent hope, history, love, and resilience. Resting on a profound belief in hope, Freeman explores the reconciliation of traumatic histories through evocative approaches to story and time.
Monday Series Concert: Tyné Angela Freeman | Monday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. | Leffler Chapel and Performance Center
A vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Freeman graduated from Dartmouth College in 2017 with a degree in music. She has released five independent records and has performed across the U.S. and internationally. Freeman was a performer in the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Series, a YoungArts national winner, and a finalist in the 2018 Independent Music Awards.
The Gandhian Roots of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Nonviolent Movement with Dr. Jeff Long | Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 12:30 p.m. | Hoover 214
Join Dr. Long’s discussion about the Gandhian foundations of Dr. King’s nonviolent strategy for changing society. This discussion will consider Gandhi’s own roots and sources in the Hindu and Jain traditions, as well as his encounters with Christianity. We’ll also highlight Rev. James Lawson and Bayard Rustin, who played important roles in bringing Dr. King’s awareness of Gandhi’s work.
Developing Resilience with Dr. Bruce Lynch | Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. | Hoover 214
Learn more about resilience and engage in conversation about it with Dr. Bruce Lynch. Discuss myths and accurate information as related to resilience. Discover the distinctions between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and explore strategies for coping with the effects of losses and setbacks, while maintaining your focus on longer-term goals.