EUGENE, Ore.—CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers will speak at the Lane Community College Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the Center for Meeting and Learning, Building 19, main campus, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene. Doors open at 4 p.m.
At 4:30 p.m., a student program celebrating King's legacy begins and includes the Black Student Union's recognition of a longtime Lane employee with its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award. Information about upcoming Black History Month events also will be shared. Seller’s keynote presentation begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes time for Q&A until 6:30 p.m.
"In addition to hearing Bakari Sellers, this is about connecting our students and their endeavors with the community to achieve solidarity,” says Dr. Lawrence Rasheed, African American/Black Student Program Coordinator at Lane. “The theme for the evening is, ‘No Longer Silent About The Things That Matter,’ and our students matter. This is the community's college and we want to involve the community and give back to the community."
Sellers made history in 2006 when, at 22 years old, he defeated a 26-year incumbent to become the youngest South Carolina state representative and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. He has followed in the footsteps of his father, civil rights leader Cleveland Sellers, and is widely considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and leading voice for his generation. He was included in TIME Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2010, and in 2014 and 2015 he was recognized by The Root 100, a list of the country’s most influential African Americans. He practices law with the Strom Law Firm in in Columbia, South Carolina.
Community organizations are invited share information about opportunities for community engagement and available resources. To reserve a table contact Marsha Sills at (541) 463-3269.
For accommodations to attend this event, contact the LCC Center for Accessible Resources at (541) 463-5150 (voice), 711 (relay), or email AccessibleResources@lanecc.edu.
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
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Lane Community College educates over 25,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.