Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. – Part 2 of 5

During the historic March on Washington, 250,000 people gathered to march for jobs and freedom. Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963.

In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, UNMC Today will feature a series of photographs and quotations from the civil rights leader. In today’s excerpt, Dr. King urges people to strive towards human kindness and brotherhood.

“We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers. Our abundance has brought us neither peace of mind nor serenity of spirit.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from “Strength to Love,” New York: Harper, 1963

Plan to attend

The 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemoration, sponsored by UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center, will be Monday, Jan. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Storz Pavilion on the lower level of Clarkson Tower. The event is free, open to the public and includes free lunch for the first 300 people.

Speaking at the event will be nationally known actor and native Omahan, John Beasley.

At age 45, he became a professional actor. Some of his recurring TV appearances include: “CSI,” “The Pretenders,” “Millenium,” and “Everwood.”

He is also widely recognized for his major motion picture credits which include: “The Sum of All Fears” (2002) with James Cromwell and Morgan Freeman; “The Apostle” (1997) with Robert Duvall and “Losing Isaiah” (1995) with Jessica Lange and Halle Berry.

In 2002, he founded the John Beasley Theater and Workshop in Omaha. Through the organization, Beasley discovers new talent, recruits nationally known actors for local performances and annually produces several plays which focus on the African American experience.

For more information, contact Jo Giles at 559-4696 or jgiles@unmc.edu.