Centenary Announces 2016 ‘Dream Week’ Activities

Centenary College's 2016 Dream Week will include a special commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the college's integration and recognition of its first African-American graduates.

College officials say Dream Week is an annual week-long celebration of the legacy and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It offers a variety of community events that encourage reflection, service and action.

Most of the following events are all free and open to the public:

Monday, January 18, 8 a.m. - MLK Service Day, Kilpatrick Auditorium/various sites

Centenary students, staff, faculty, alumni and community partners will work together on the college's 8th Annual MLK Service Day. Participants will paint, clean and make repairs at local schools and non-profit organizations.

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler will welcome participants at 8 a.m. in Kilpatrick Auditorium, then volunteers will be taken to their service sites. Registration is free and includes breakfast, lunch and transportation. Check-in begins at 7:15 a.m. at the auditorium and participants will be returned to campus at noon for lunch.

CLICK HERE to register.

Tuesday, January 19, 11:10 a.m. - MLK Convocation with guest speaker Rev. Kenneth Fisher, Anderson Auditorium in the Hurley School of Music

Centenary archivist Chris Brown will serve as the moderator for this convocation featuring Rev. Kenneth Fisher, one of the first African-American students to enroll at the college in the late 1960's. Fisher will share some of his memories from the time period, as well as participate in a Q & A with audience members.

The Centenary College Choir will also perform at the convocation.

Thursday, January 21, 11:10 a.m. - Faculty Lecture by Dr. Loren Demerath and College Archivist Chris Brown, Whited Room in Bynum Commons

Brown, assisted by students Olivia Brignac and Harrison Folse, has curated an exhibit chronicling the college's integration and the experiences of African-American students in the 1960's. Brown will introduce the exhibit and Dr. Demerath, Chair of Centenary's Sociology Department, will place the Centenary experience within the broader context of the Civil Rights Movement.

The exhibit will be on display in the Whited Room lobby from January through May and online at www.centenary.edu/archives.

Thursday, January 21, 7:30 p.m. - Bridge Building Conversations, Kilpatrick Auditorium

Centenary's Assistant Director for Community Engagement LaToya Hemphill and Assistant Director of Christian Leadership Maegan Daigle will facilitate this convation open to the campus and the community. Discussion will focus on the current state of civil rights in the U.S.

Friday, January 22, 7:30 p.m. - Dream Week Theatre Performance of 'Gee's Bend' produced by Mahogany Ensemble Theatre, Marjorie Lyons Playhouse

'Gee's Bend' is a "heartwarming and powerful play about a family of women in the real community of Gee's Bend, Alabama, which is now famous for the beautiful quilts created by the women who grew up there." It depicts the ladies' personal journey, which parallels the turbulent history of African-Americans in the 20th century, through segregation, family strife and the Civil Rights Movement.

Tickets are $5 for the general public and free for the Centenary College community.

Saturday, January 23, noon - 5th Annual Oratory Contest, Marjorie Lyons Playhouse

This event is presented by the Mahogany Ensemble Theatre in partnership with Centenary and the Shreve Memorial Library System. It honors the legacy of Dr. King and Northwest Louisiana's Civil Rights heritage.

The oratory competition is open to all students in grades 3-5 (elementary division, 6-8 (junior division) and 9-12 (senior division). CLICK HERE to enter a youth speaker by Friday, January 15. There is a $5 entry fee.