Gather with students and staff from the Spring Break Civil Rights Tour and the Gospel Choir to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the legacy of his life.

Powerpoint Slides

offered a similar version of this Chapel Gathering at University Chapel on January 24.

Does the arc of history really bend towards justice as King and Obama liked to say? Think theologically about hope and history with Professor Peter Dula as part of the Common Read Chapel Series on Between the World and Me.

Ěýis Associate Professor of Religion and Culture. He received a Ph.D from Duke University in theology and ethics in 2004. He is the author of Cavell, Companionship, and Christian Theology (Oxford, 2011). Before coming to EMU in 2006 he was the Mennonite Central Committee Iraq Program Coordinator. He has taught at Lancaster Mennonite High School and at the Meserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was a Fulbright scholar in 2001-2002. He has received several grants and fellowships including, most recently, the Louisville Institute Sabbatical Grant for Researchers.

Powerpoint

Does the arc of history really bend towards justice as King and Obama liked to say? Think theologically about hope and history with Professor Peter Dula as part of the Common Read Chapel Series on Between the World and Me.

Ěýis Associate Professor of Religion and Culture. He received a Ph.D from Duke University in theology and ethics in 2004. He is the author of Cavell, Companionship, and Christian Theology (Oxford, 2011). Before coming to EMU in 2006 he was the Mennonite Central Committee Iraq Program Coordinator. He has taught at Lancaster Mennonite High School and at the Meserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he was a Fulbright scholar in 2001-2002. He has received several grants and fellowships including, most recently, the Louisville Institute Sabbatical Grant for Researchers.

Just Stand: Gather toĚýhear and explore pieces of selected speechesĚýand sermons from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

theme is Just StandĚýbased on a quote from King’s 1963Ěýbook of homilies: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

There is a time of prayerful sending for the Ěýtoward the end of chapel.

Join the celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through praise and worship featuring the ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř Gospel Choir and Meechy Jay.

Rev. Dr. Chinita Richardson, Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Harrisonburg)

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Chinita Richardson, born in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, the oldest of four children of Aurelia LeBlanc, attended Holy Family Catholic High School where she graduated in 1983. After graduation she attended Lawson State College in Birmingham, Alabama in the daytime and Miles College School in the evenings to pursue a degree in pre teaching and law. She graduated from Lawson State College in 1999 receiving a degree in Pre Teaching. She graduated with a degree in English from the New York
Institute of Technology, and continued her education with Liberty Theological Seminary where she completed a Master of Arts in Theological Studies a Master’s of Divinity with a concentration in Professional Ministries and a Master of Arts in Teaching with an Endorsement in Special Education she is currently pursing a Doctorate in Ministry at Liberty University. Dr. Richardson received her Ph.D. in Leadership and Higher
Education from Northcentral University.

Chinita Richardson devoted eightĚý years to teaching Literature and Music Theory to high school students in the inner city school system of Birmingham, Alabama where her focus was the diamonds in the rough. It was her mission to concentrate on the children who had problems learning and make them success stories. She was part of a school that became a magnet school as a result of hard work and perseverance with and for the
students.

In December of 2001 Ms. Richardson moved to Columbus, Georgia. She worked as a Media Specialist Assistant and in Special Education at the Chattahoochee County Educational Center for grades K-5. She also gave service for 13 years to the private practice law firm of the Honorable Mary A. Buckner, P.C. located in the historic district where she was the Senior Paralegal for real estate, probate and bankruptcy courts. She is
a member of the Georgia Alliance of African American Attorneys, and she was appointed chairman of the Pro Bono Committee of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers.
Her goal as the chairman for this committee was to insure that all indigent persons have the right to an attorney even though they could not afford to pay the cost for representation. She was also an adjunct professor of English and Religion at Georgia Military College where she taught adults returning back to college seeking a second career. She is currently in Special Education providing tier 3 evidence-based interventions during problem-solving course of action with counselors, the Response to Intervention team and general education teachers in Washington, DC.

Chinita Richardson’s community involvements include being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Gamma Tau Omega Graduate Chapter of Columbus, Georgia and a devout former member of St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is a former member of the choir, a former member of the Steward Board; she is a former member of the Starlighters, a group that helped raise seed money throughout the year to financially fill in the gaps to
help sustain the church’s function in benevolence and missions. She has served in the kitchen at St. John AME where on a few occasions she delivered the leftover food from the programs to the local Salvation Army located in Columbus, Georgia. She was also the former President of the Southwest Georgia Central District Lay Organization where she served 23 churches for a number of years until her ordination as an Itinerant Deacon of the African Methodist Episcopal church. She established a Scholarship program for the Central District Lay organization that continues to helped college students with books and supplies for college. She is the former Senior Pastor for Tabernacle AME Church where she established a food ministry for those who had trouble extending their food stamps to the end of the month. She established the media ministry that reached over 500
people throughout the world via Youtube, Facebook, CD’s and DVD’s. She was affiliated with the Daughters of St. John and the Liturgical Dance Team where she started a ministry to teach young sisters in Christ how to be Bold and Beautiful women for Christ. She is the chairman of the Columbus Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and a Silver member of the NAACP, ACLU and former member of the AmVets Ladies Auxiliary. She received an award from the ACLU for her continued fight
against discrimination of African Americans and women. She also owns and operates Sheena’s Travels, LLC, a home-based travel agency booking travel for families and groups of all ages and the founder of Hands of CARES, a community action re-entry service support program for ex-offenders transitioning back to society. She is currently the Senior Pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia where the Spirit of the Lord is…..there is Liberty! Chinita Richardson attributes her success to her strong family and religious background. She has 3 adopted children Jason, Jonathan and Kristina, one son-in law, Charles “Kendo” Mitchell and 3 grandchildren, Jahki, Kayani and Kyleah. Her advice to others and especially to young people is that a person can achieve any goal with hard work, dedication, perseverance and commitment. Shoot for the stars!!

Seven reading circle options were available around campus during chapel to read through the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This recording is from the group that met in University Commons 201 (President’s Reception Room) – Letter from Birmingham Jail – led by
– a letter written while in solitary confinement intended for unsupportive ministers and later published (April 12, 1963)

Join the celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through praise and worship featuring the Reverend Derrick Parson and the ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř Gospel Choir.

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Reverend Derrick Parson is presently the Pastor of Providence United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia. He is a full Elder in the United Methodist Church. He also serves as Director of Ministries with Young People for the United Methodist Virginia Conference.

Reverend Parson earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Saint Peter’s College, Jersey City, New Jersey, a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond Virginia.
Prior to becoming Senior Pastor of Providence United Methodist Church, Reverend Parson served Ramsey Memorial United Methodist Church as an Associate Pastor with outreach responsibilities for 7 years, served as the Director for the Wesley Foundation at James Madison University for 5 years, served as the Associate Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Harrisonburg for 2 years and most recently served as the Pastor of Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church in Chesterfield for 5 years.

When Reverend Parson was six years old one of the senior women of the church shared with him and his mother that he had the mark of a preacher. This was his Outer Call on his life. He joined the United States Marine Corps at age twenty one and that part of his journey was tough, instructional yet it gave him a wonderful time to hone his leadership and people skills. He served 2ndBattalion 6th Marines in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Two years later, he had the privilege of serving Embassy duty — American Embassy, Bonn Germany for 18 months and Bamako Mali, West Africa for 18 months. Shortly thereafter, his unit geared up for the war. His unit (2nd Battalion 6th Marines) went in for the after math of the Gulf War. Iraq of all places is where he received the Inner Call. This is where God spoke to him and he heard for himself. God told him that he would not re-enlist. However, he would preach and teach His Word and draw His people to Him. He said, yes Lord!

Reverend Parson is married to Natalia Bradshaw (Bahama Momma) and after seven years of marriage, God blessed them with a beautiful boy, Joshua Evan Chandler Parson. He is indeed an answer to his seven year prayer. Joshua turned eleven years old on August 27, 2015. During those wonderful years of being newly married and a brand new dad, he went through the complete process of the Board of Ordained Ministry of the Virginia Conference. This has been one of the greatest decisions He has made and only looks back fondly on his process in the United Methodist Church and embraces it as a good and necessary part of his journey!

MLK, Jr. Celebration Chapel features the Rev. Dr. Nikitah Okembe-RA Imani preaching on There’s Power in the Blood.

Dr. Nikitah Okembe-RA Imani is the professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies. Before joining the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2012, he taught Sociology and African Studies at James Madison University. Dr. Imani earned Doctorate and Masters of Arts degrees in Sociology and a Masters of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. Dr. Imani is on the editorial board for two journals, Critical Sociology and the Journal of Racial Pedagogy.

Civil Disobedience/Divine Obedience: Jesus and MLK’s vision of the Beloved Community – A sermon based on , Anton Flores-Maisonet examines the baptism of Jesus as a defining moment when Christ modeled the call for his followers to consider the cost involved in building the Beloved Community.

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Dr. Vincent Harding engages a discussion around the themes of a quote by MLK and .

The EMU history department and Black Student Union host Dr. Vincent Harding to share from his life and faith journey as part of the Keim Lecture Series and Black History Month. Dr. Harding was a friend and close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a Mennonite pastor who visited EMU during the Civil Rights era. We are honored to again host him on campus.

Dr. Harding, a friend and confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., presents a guided discussion based on his years of experience with the Civil Rights movement, and on his recent thinking about compassion and the many forms of non-violent expression for social change.

Dr. Vincent Harding is a celebrated Civil Rights leader and scholar who was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and the first director of the King Center in Atlanta. Harding also worked closely with Mennonites during the early 1960s, directing the “Mennonite House” in Atlanta from 1961-1964. In 1967, Harding drafted King’s important and controversial “Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam” speech. He is the author of several books on the Civil Rights Movement, was the senior academic advisor for the PBS documentary “Eyes on the Prize” series, and in 1997 he founded the Veterans of Hope Project which collects the stories of people who dedicated their lives to compassionate social change. In 2011 he engaged in a panel with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Sister Helen Prejean and this inspired his 2013 book, America Will Be!: Conversations on Hope, Freedom, and Democracy, co-authored with Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda.

David Evans speaks on “A Domesticated King” for the MLK Day Chapel in Lehman Auditorium.

, Asst Prof-History and Mission at the seminary, has worked in various ministry contexts. While living in Washington, DC, David was the Junior/Senior High Director of an out-of-school time program on Capitol Hill. Later he served as Community Development Resource coordinator with MCC East Coast. Most recently he was co-pastor of Boonton United Methodist Church in New Jersey. He loves to spend time with his wife, Faith, his two boys Isaac, 14 and Solomon, 7 and an infant Sophia Grace. He finds joy in playing and watching basketball and soccer. He is also an avid music enthusiast. Above all else, he would like to be known as someone who loves God with deep conviction and loves God’s people with a heart that is wide open.

Ph.D. Drew University Graduate Division of Religion, Historical Studies
M.Phil. Drew University, Historical Studies
M.T.S. Wesley Theological Seminary, History of Christianity
B.A. Spring Arbor College, Christian Ministries

His presentation includes two video segments.Ěý The first is available on the DVD

The is by Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

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Shane Claiborne is a bestselling author, prominent Christian activist, sought-after speaker and recovering sinner.

With tears and laughter, Shane Claiborne unveils the tragic messes we’ve made of our world and the tangible hope that another world is possible. Shane graduated from Eastern University, and did graduate work at Princeton Seminary. His ministry experience is varied, from a 10-week stint working alongside Mother Teresa in Calcutta, to a year spent serving a wealthy mega-congregation at Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago. During the recent war in Iraq, Shane spent three weeks in Baghdad with the Iraq Peace Team. Shane is also a founding partner of , a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped to birth and connect radical faith communities around the world.

Shane writes and travels extensively speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. He is featured in the DVD series and is the author of the several books including , , and . Shane speaks over 100 times a year in a dozen or so countries and nearly every state in the US. Shane has given academic seminars at Vanderbilt University, Duke University Pepperdine University, Wheaton College, Princeton University, Goshen College and Harvard University. Shane also speaks at various denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe. Shane’s work has been featured in everything from Fox News and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and National Public Radio.

Shane Claiborne is a bestselling author, prominent Christian activist, sought-after speaker and recovering sinner.

With tears and laughter, Shane Claiborne unveils the tragic messes we’ve made of our world and the tangible hope that another world is possible. Shane graduated from Eastern University, and did graduate work at Princeton Seminary. His ministry experience is varied, from a 10-week stint working alongside Mother Teresa in Calcutta, to a year spent serving a wealthy mega-congregation at Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago. During the recent war in Iraq, Shane spent three weeks in Baghdad with the Iraq Peace Team. Shane is also a founding partner of , a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped to birth and connect radical faith communities around the world.

Shane writes and travels extensively speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. He is featured in the DVD series and is the author of the several books including , , and . Shane speaks over 100 times a year in a dozen or so countries and nearly every state in the US. Shane has given academic seminars at Vanderbilt University, Duke University Pepperdine University, Wheaton College, Princeton University, Goshen College and Harvard University. Shane also speaks at various denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe. Shane’s work has been featured in everything from Fox News and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and National Public Radio.

EMU observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2010 with a chapel service and several other special events Jan. 15-18.

In this chapel, Luke Hartman, an administrator at Skyland Middle School in Harrisonburg, speaks on “The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Hartman, who is also an adjunct faculty member in EMU’s , bases his remarks on .