Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. — Part 4 of 5

While the civil rights movement began in the south, Dr. King took his message of equality, peace and freedom to northern cities like Chicago, Detroit, Watts and Harlem.

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 addresses racism by pointing out our similarities instead of our differences.

“We see men as Jews or Gentiles, Catholics or Protestants, Chinese or American, Negroes or whites. We fail to think of them as fellow human beings made from the same basic stuff as we, molded in the same divine image.” 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.