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Community collaboration celebrates Dr. King's legacy, vision

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration

URBANA, Ill. – As a leader in the civil rights movement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated peaceful solutions to fight injustices for all people. More than 50 years after his death, important conversations still honor his legacy and celebrate his vision.

University of Illinois Extension will co-host Digital Inclusion and Community Broadband Equity webinar on Jan. 20 from 10 to 11 a.m. (CST) as part of a county-wide Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration series commemorating King's mission, teachings, and legacy.

Presenter David Northern, Sr., CEO of the Housing Authority of Champaign County, will lead the digital equity discussion about individual and community strategies for success and will showcase his community broadband vision and plan for progress toward improved broadband access for underserved residents within Champaign County.

The webinar concludes with a Q&A session; participants are encouraged to bring questions about equity work, digital inclusion, community broadband development, public service, career success, community organizing, and related topics.

All community members are welcome to support this collaborative effort to advance and showcase the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as an initial gesture towards continuing to honor his legacy throughout the coming year. Register at go.illinois.edu/CelebrateMLK2021.

For additional information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact organizer and committee member, Nancy Ouedraogo at esarey@illinois.edu.

The complete virtual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration includes the following lineup:

Jan. 17, 2021 | 3 to 4 p.m. (CT): Rising Together: Facing the Challenges of Tomorrow Today

Jan, 19, 2021 | 1 to 2 p.m. (CT): Black Student Activism: What We Can Learn from Earlier Activism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Jan. 20, 2021 | 10 to 11:30 a.m. (CT): Digital Inclusion and Community Broadband Equity

Jan. 26, 2021 | 6 to 7 p.m. (CT): Leading with Empathy 

Jan. 27, 2021 | 7 to 8:30 p.m. (CT): Meet Us at the Crossroads: Conversations about Healing and Civic Engagement

Jan, 29, 2021 | 3 to 4 p.m. (CT): Virtual Poverty Simulation

Feb. 5, 2021: MLK Creative Writing Contest Award Announcements

This annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is a county-wide commemoration of King's mission, teachings, and legacy. A coordinating committee representing the City of Champaign, City of UrbanaChampaign CountyVillage of RantoulParkland College, and University of Illinois work together to create an annual program designed to spark new insight into Dr. King’s important work.

For more information and to register for one or more sessions in the series, visit http://go.illinois.edu/mlk2021.

SOURCE: Nancy Ouedraogo, Community and Economic Development Specialist, University of Illinois Extension

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.