(January 6, 2012)

College announces 2012 Dream Week celebration

SHREVEPORT, LA — For the fourth consecutive year, the Diversity Committee in conjunction with the Office of Global Engagement will celebrate the legacy and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a week-long tribute, with events taking place at Centenary College of Louisiana January 16-21.

2011 Dream Week
2011 Dream Week

In keeping with the spirit of Dr. King's accomplishments, Dream Week 2012 will honor his contributions with events designed to capture the essence of his message, and to provide participants with the opportunity to reflect on the past while acting upon the promise of the future.

All events for Dream Week 2012 are free and open to the public:

Monday, Jan. 16, MLK Service Day
Dream Week kicks off with Centenary students, staff, faculty, and alumni taking part in the College's 4th Annual MLK Service Day. Participants will work to beautify the Highland area by painting, cleaning, and making other repairs to local schools and non-profit organizations: Atkins Elementary, E.B.W. Stoner Hill Elementary, the Highland Center, Philadelphia Center, and Querbes Community Center.

Registration is free with breakfast, lunch, and transportation provided. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium and participants will be returned to campus at 11:30 a.m. for lunch.

Register online for the service day project.

Tuesday, Jan. 17, Dream Week Convocation: A Conversation with Plessy and Ferguson, 11:00 a.m., Whited Room of Bynum Commons
The focus of this year's Dream Week Convocation will be a discussion by Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson, descendants of the key individuals involved in the historic 1896 civil rights case, Plessy v. Ferguson. In the landmark case, the United States Supreme Court ruled that racially separate but equal public facilities were compatible with the U.S. Constitution.

The descendants of Plessy and Ferguson have since created the Plessy & Ferguson Foundation to perpetuate the truth that the doctrine of separate but equal is inherently unequal when decisions are based on race. The Foundation teaches the history of Civil Rights through understanding of the Plessy v. Ferguson case and its effect on the American conscience.

Tuesday, Jan. 17, Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, 7:30 p.m., Robinson Film Center
Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans is a riveting tale of hope, heartbreak and resiliency set in New Orleans's Faubourg Tremé. Fauborg Tremé is arguably the oldest black neighborhood in America, the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement in the South, and the home of jazz.

During slavery, Faubourg Tremé was home to the largest community of free black people in the Deep South. Black and white, free and enslaved, rich and poor co-habitated, collaborated, and clashed to create much of what defines New Orleans culture to the present day. Shot largely before Hurricane Katrina and edited afterwards, the film is both celebratory and elegiac in tone.

Campus guests Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson, descendants of the key individuals involved in the historic 1896 civil rights case, will be in attendance.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, Philosophy Discussion, 7:30 p.m., 2910 Building
The Philosophy Discussion Group, a student organization focused on unbiased yet open discussion of current events, history, and future challenges, will sponsor an open forum style conversation focused on the Plessy v. Ferguson case as well as other civil rights issues. Centenary Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Chris Ciocchetti will lead the discussion.

Thursday, Jan. 19, Nubian Cultural Center Performance, 7:00 p.m., Marjorie Lyons Playhouse
The Nubian Cultural Center (NCOC) will perform African-themed dance routines and present poems related to the themes of civil rights and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. NCOC is a non-profit education organization, dedicated to the education and cultural awareness of the black family unit.

Saturday, Jan. 21, Mentorship Training, 8:00 a.m., Kilpatrick Auditorium
Mentorship training, co-sponsored by the Mentor Partnership of Northwest Louisiana, an initiative of the United Way of Northwest Louisiana, will take place from 8:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Attendees will be provided with information on mentoring to both youth and adults through the national mentoring curriculum founded by The Mentoring Center of Oakland, California (mentor.org).The training will provide guidance to those currently mentoring or individuals interested in becoming a mentor. Lunch will be sponsored by Cane's and Coca-Cola.

For more information on Dream Week 2012, contact Dr. Chad Fulwider, Assistant Professor of History and Chair of the Diversity Committee, at 318.869.5185 or Mr. Chris Lavan, Director of Global Engagement, at 318.869.5542.