The University of Evansville will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 21 with a daylong series of events – including a re-enactment of the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., the William G. and Rose M. Mays Martin Luther King Jr. Lectureship, and a viewing of the 57th presidential inauguration.
The day’s schedule of events is as follows. All events are free and open to the public.
10:30 a.m.: Viewing of the 57th presidential inauguration, Bernhardt Atrium, Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. For only the second time in history, the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the public presidential inauguration fall on the same day. The inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama will be shown on the main screen in the Bernhardt Atrium.
Noon-1 p.m.: Excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic speeches will air on the University of Evansville’s radio station, 91.5 WUEV.
1 p.m.: Walk for Justice, leaves from the Bernhardt Atrium, Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building. This year marks the University of Evansville’s 25th annual re-enactment of the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, and 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the original march. The route will cut through the middle of campus then follow Walnut Street, Alvord Boulevard, and Lincoln Avenue back to campus.
7 p.m.: William G. and Rose M. Mays Martin Luther King Jr. Lectureship, Eykamp Hall (Room 251), Ridgway University Center. Through the generosity of William G. and Rose M. Mays, this lectureship funds the annual keynote speaker during the University of Evansville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
This year’s lecture features the Honorable Timothy C. Evans, chief judge of the Cook County (Illinois) Circuit Court, one of the largest unified court systems in the world. Only the fourth person to serve as chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, Evans also is the first African American to serve in the position.
During his 10 years as chief judge, Evans has brought sweeping reforms to the court that are both innovative and compassionate. Among his efforts are changes to the bail setting process, the creation of court-wide divisions dedicated to hearing only domestic violence matters and elder law matters, and the expansion of problem solving courts dedicated to mental health treatment, veterans support, drug treatment, and support to women charged with prostitution.
Evans is a 1965 graduate of the University of Illinois and received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1969. In 2009, he became the first judge from Illinois to receive the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence from the National Center for State Courts. The award is one of the most prestigious judicial honors in the country and is presented by by the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court.
