Skidmore to observe Martin Luther King Day Jan. 19

In observance of Martin Luther King Day, Skidmore and the city of Saratoga Springs will present events in remembrance of the civil rights leader’s legacy of non-violent direct action and social justice this Monday, Jan. 19. The events are free and open to the public.

The presentation will begin with a community celebration of King’s life and work titled “A New Birth of Freedom” from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the Saratoga Springs Public Library, 49 Henry St. Following the downtown event, a CDTA “Freedom Bus” will provide free transportation to the Skidmore campus, where a light supper will be presented in the lobby of Gannett Auditorium in Palamountain Hall.  

At 5 p.m., an excerpt from the 2004 re-release of the award-winning documentary Eyes on the Prize (created and produced by Henry Hampton) will be screened in nearby Davis Auditorium in Palamountain Hall.  The documentary chronicles the tumultuous last year of King’s life and captures in striking detail his concern with linking the plight of the working poor with his critique of the Vietnam War.  

Following the film, panelists from both inside and outside the Skidmore community will share their thoughts on aspects of King’s legacy, a legacy particularly relevant on the eve of the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. The panelists will include Natalie Baarsma, a former civil rights activist who was jailed with King; Rabbi Linda Motzkin, the Jewish chaplain at Skidmore and co-rabbi of Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs; and Jon Zibbell, a visiting professor in Skidmore’s Department of Anthropology. Winston Grady-Willis, the College’s director of intercultural studies, will serve as moderator.

The Skidmore observance will conclude with a dessert reception scheduled at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby outside of Gannett Auditorium of Palamountain Hall.  The public is welcome at the reception.