Okembe-RA Imani is chair and professor of the Department of Black Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is also a veteran of more than 27聽years of activism in Black nationalist and Pan-Africanist movements, dealing with race, class, gender, nationality, language and religion. He is ordained as a minister in both the Southern Baptist and African Orthodox churches and is also a consecrated African traditional priest of Amen-RA.

Okembe-RA Imani is the author of two books, The Agony of Education: Black Students at White Colleges and Universities (Routledge, 1996) and Head Games: De-Colonizing the Psychotherapeutic Process (University Press of America, 2010).

He previously taught sociology and Africana studies at James Madison University.

Schedule of events

Thursday, Jan. 15
8 p.m.: Movie and talk back 鈥� 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥� (Common Grounds Coffeehouse)

Friday, Jan. 16
10-10:30 a.m.: Reading circles of MLK Jr. sermons and speeches. (Parkwoods Apartments Community Room, Cedarwood 2nd floor lounge, Northlawn Great Lounge, Campus Center Brunk Maust lounge, Seminary main lounge, Hartzler Library, Science Center rm. 104, University Commons student life lounge, Roselawn 200)

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Mix-it up at lunch. (Northlawn Dining Hall)

7-9 p.m.: Evening of service and visit to Tyrone Sprague鈥檚 barbershop. (Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley United Methodist Church and Tyrone鈥檚 Barbershop) Vans depart from the University Commons main entrance at 6:30 p.m.聽To sign up for service, email Y-Serve or the Black Student Union at y-serve@emu.edu or emubsu1@gmail.com.

Saturday, Jan. 17
10 a.m. – 12 p.m., or 12-2 p.m.: Day of service and visit to Tyrone Sprague鈥檚 barbershop. (Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, John Wesley United Methodist Church, Blacks Run and Tyrone鈥檚 Barbershop) Vans depart from the University Commons main entrance at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. To sign up for service, email Y-Serve or the Black Student Union at y-serve@emu.edu or emubsu1@gmail.com.

Sunday, Jan. 18
11 a.m.: Community church service with Rev. Dr. Nikitah Okembe-RA Imani. (Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 184 Kelley Street, Harrisonburg) Vans depart from the University Commons main entrance at 10:30 a.m.

1 p.m.: Community lunch for church attendees. (John Wesley United Methodist Church, 425 Effinger Street, Harrisonburg)

Monday, Jan. 19
9:50-10 a.m.: 鈥淥ne Dream鈥� Solidarity March
10-10:40 a.m.: MLK, Jr. Celebration Chapel with Rev. Dr. Nikitah Okembe-RA Imani, the EMU Gospel Choir and the Alpha Omega Dancers for Christ. (Lehman Auditorium)

10:45-11:30 a.m.: After chapel talk-back on dynamics of the prison industrial complex (Common Grounds Coffeehouse)

Tuesday, Jan. 20
7 p.m.: Food Drive for The Salvation Army, Our Community Place and Patchwork Pantry. Bring non-perishable food items to the men鈥檚 volleyball game at Yoder Arena in University Commons.

More info

Admission to all programs is free. For more information on activities related to Dr. King observances, or for a full schedule of events, visit聽emu.edu/mlk/聽or call campus ministries at 540-432-4115.

Patchwork Pantry, an ecumenical, volunteer-run food ministry based at Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va., is bridging language and ethnic barriers of its clientele with the help of area college students.

Again this fall, students from 草莓社区 and neighboring James Madison University are filling most of the volunteer spots on Wednesday evenings. Each week, 18 volunteers work to interview, weigh and bag food for clients.

Twelve EMU and eight JMU students signed up through their respective campus service learning organizations or directly from social work class, committing to work each week during the semester.

The pantry, which opened May 27, 1992, serves Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area residents with staple foods. The pantry is operated by a 14-member board of directors, representing seven denominations: Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Unitarian Universalists, Mennonite and non-denominational.

EMU students Nathan J. Harder, a senior environmental science major from Mountain Lake, Minn., and Aura “Pancha” Moreno, a junior justice, peace and conflict studies major from Bogota, Columbia – both fluent in Spanish – work at the interview tables each week.

Harder needed to fulfill a class requirement of volunteering in the community, but also wanted to get more involved personally. He says his favorite part of the job is “interacting with the clients who come and taking time to learn more about them.

“There truly is a great diversity of people living in this community and a great need for sharing and interaction to extend beyond the bounds of formal institutions, into the realities of our everyday lives,” Harder notes.

“My biggest surprise in this work has been people’s openness to talking about their lives during the interview process,” he states. “I was expecting a pretty strict and formal procedure, but a lot of mutual learning occurs during the process.”

Moreno volunteered because of the need for Spanish-speaking interviewers. She has learned a bit more about the immigrant population in Harrisonburg and says she has been “impressed with the courage it takes for people to recognize and admit that they’re in need.”

She is also struck by the variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds seen at the Pantry, reaffirming for her that “necessity,” or the lack of economic resources, is everywhere, even in the most powerful country on Earth, the United States.

Moreno was surprised one night to see one of her neighbors at the Pantry, and, another night, a member of her church. She realized how seldom one knows the circumstances of another person’s life. In Spanish, the saying is: “nadie sabe con la sed que otro vive.” She was also surprised to know that at least one of the JMU student volunters came out of his own motivation, not because it was a class requirement.

Moreno expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work at Patchwork Pantry, noting: “It has allowed me to see first-hand the significant need locally in the midst of so much abundance.”

Sheri Hartzler, Patchwork Pantry director, said that more volunteers are needed when college in not in session and that more workers are needed especially during the Christmas season and in January, 2005.

To volunteer, call (540) 421-6315.