Jamar Bean, program director of the Multicultural Center and Sarah Kutten, Portland director of student services, emceed the program with a keynote by Charise Cheney, associate professor of Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies. Also in the program were Rabbi Meir Goldstein, senior Jewish educator at Oregon Hillel, with a morning blessing and opening remarks by Aris Hall, coordinator of the Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center and Isaiah Allen (Class of 2022) with closing remarks.
All award recipients and nominees were acknowledged and honored at the event.
Award winners
Social Justice “Drum Major”
Award
Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann, Assistant Dean for Administration, Equity, and Inclusion, College of Education
Unsung Hero
Award
Nikki Chery, Interim Associate Director/Clinical Director, Black/African-American Student Specialist, University Counseling Services
Outstanding Student “Influencer” Award
Isaiah Corder Boyd, ASUO President Class of 2022, Wayne Morse Scholar
Outstanding Student “Influencer” Award
Cornesha Tweede, Doctoral candidate, Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Romance Languages
Outstanding Student
Organization
Asian and Pacific American Student Union
Outstanding School / Department / Committee
Search Advocate Pilot Program, Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC)
Outstanding Community
Partner
Sapsik’ʷałá Tribal Advisory Council
For the second year in a row, university-wide Courageous Conversations were offered on MLK Day with this year’s theme of “Solidarity.” According to Lesley-Anne Pittard, assistant vice president for Campus and Community Engagement for the Division of Equity and Inclusion, these conversations are “intended to be spaces for civility, connection, respectful listening, and authenticity.” There will be more campus-wide Courageous Conversations during spring term.
The Holden Center held a MLK Day of Service on Jan 17 to honor the legacy of Dr. King by serving the local community and focusing on educating ourselves about racial justice in K-12, locally and nationally, and exploring the impacts for the future.
Payton Head
January 25, 2022
Doors: 5:30 pm
Presentation: 6:00-7:30 pm Erb Memorial Union (EMU), Ballroom
Organized by The BE Series and Dean of Students: Multicultural Education Engagement and Student Success
A rising community leader, Payton Head is invested in developing institutional cultures that are grounded in equity. He empowers students and campus administrators to fight hatred with radical love for others and themselves.
With the National Campus Leadership Council and the US Department of Education he coauthored a guide for student leaders on strategy for addressing inclusion at educational institutions and presents to university communities nationwide on the importance of creating a culture of acceptance.
Head’s latest work has been internationally focused. He represents American youth of the African Diaspora with the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. In 2019, he was selected to address the African Union and United Nations in Dakar, Senegal advocating for the investment in youth initiatives that unite young people of African descent.
For 36 years, the Skanner Foundation has invited the community to celebrate the life of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a shared breakfast event. This year the event was virtual. A highlight of the event was presenting students with Skanner Foundation scholarships. This year two ducks are among the recipients—Lisa Amani, a sophomore majoring in political science, and Kelly Schooler, a sophomore majoring in anatomy and human physiology.
Lisa Amani will major in Social Work and plans to be an ambassador for children in marginalized communities to help create a better environment for them to thrive.
Read about Lisa Amani's journey from the Congo to the University of Oregon in the article Turning Pain into Ambition
Kelly Schooler will major in Human Physiology and plans to work in dentistry and helping provide much needed healthcare to poorer communities in Vietnam.
The mission of the Skanner Foundation is to “Challenge people to shape a better future now.” The foundation works in conjunction with The Skanner newspaper and website, published in Portland and Seattle, which works to advance the cause of the Black Press in the Northwest.
A Call for Deeper Understanding and Action on MLK Day 2022
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, 'Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.'”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the UO through the years
Although for the last two years the UO Martin Luther King day commemoration has been virtual, these gatherings build on the community we have continued to create throughout the years. Check out these highlights from past years.
2021
2020
2019
2019 MLK Higher Heights Deeper Love Gospel Concert
Callie Day and Andiel Brown: excerpts from Pre-Concert Workshop and Concert
2018
2017
2016
