Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. — Part 3 of 5

In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, UNMC Today will feature a series of photographs and quotations from the civil rights leader. Besides his civil rights work, Dr. King pushed for economic equality of all Americans. In today’s excerpt, King addresses poverty.

“The misery of the poor in Africa and Asia is shared misery, a fact of life for the vast majority; they are all poor together as a result of years of exploitation and underdevelopment. In sad contrast, the poor in America know that they live in the richest nation in the world.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr from his “Nobel Prize Lecture” on Dec. 11, 1968

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.

In early 1968, Dr. King began organizing his “Poor People’s Campaign.” He wanted to bring Americans from all backgrounds to the nation’s capital for another march. While in Memphis to protest with black sanitation workers, Dr. King was assassinated on April 4. (Photo courtesy of the Press Scimitar in Memphis, Tenn. Photographer unknown)

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.