RICHLAND, Wash. ��� In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy for civil rights achievements in the United States, Washington State University Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College will host a series of events surrounding civil rights and civic engagement the week of Jan. 20 that are open to the community.

All events are free to attend and do not require tickets for admission.

Monday, Jan. 20 ��� Martin Luther King Jr. Bell-Ringing Ceremony at CBC

The week begins with the 29^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Bell-Ringing Ceremony at the CBC campus in Pasco, which honors MLK���s legacy and achievements in civil rights issues locally and across the United States, and also recognizes the efforts that are still to be done. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at the MLK statue outside of the T Building, and will then move inside the H Building���s Gjerde Center for the main presentation.

Monday, Jan. 20 ��� MLK Day of Service at Richland Community Center

The Psi Nu Omega Graduate Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will host an MLK Day of Service 10 a.m. ��� 2:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Richland Community Center. Leading up to the event, the 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion will be accepting donations of gently used and new shoes and eye glasses, which will be donated on Jan. 20 during the event. Individuals can drop off their donations between 8 a.m. ��� 5 p.m. at MOSAIC this week through Friday. Donations will also be collected during the event at the community center on Jan. 20. Student are also invited to volunteer or submit created MLK art by reaching out to the chapter at pnopullman@gmail.com.

Thursday, Jan. 23 ��� Civil Rights Organizations Workshop at 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC

The 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion will host a Civil Rights Organizations Workshop from 1 p.m. ��� 2 p.m. in Floyd 140 on campus. As part of the workshop, Bob Bauman, 厙ぴ勛圖 associate professor of history, will present on civil rights groups and will specifically explore the impact of student activism. Bauman teaches American history and public history courses at 厙ぴ勛圖 and his article on racial segregation in the Tri-Cities was awarded with the Charles Gates Award for the best article to appear in the Pacific Northwest Quarterly in 2005.

Thursday, Jan. 23 ��� MLK Celebration Watch Party at 厙ぴ勛圖 Student Union Building

To complete the week, the 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion will host an MLK celebration from 6 p.m. ��� 8 p.m., where a presentation by W. Kamau Bell, a sociopolitical comedian and host of the Emmy Award-winning CNN docuseries ���United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell,��� will be broadcasted to all WSU campuses across the state from WSU Pullman. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about the MOSAIC Center and enjoy some light refreshments.

 

Media contacts:

Kristine Cody, 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion coordinator, 509-372-7600, kristine.cody@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations/communication coordinator, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

Anna Tensmeyer, Columbia Basin College marketing and communication director, 509-845-0341, atensmeyer@columbiabasin.edu

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� Washington State University Tri-Cities��� Hanford History Project will celebrate Black History Month on Saturday, Feb. 3, through a kick-off event for a project that will document African American History at the Hanford Site.

The event, which runs 5 p.m. ��� 7 p.m. at the , will feature a 45-minute presentation by speakers from the National Park Service, the African American Community Cultural and Education Society, the Hanford History Project and more.

Speakers will discuss the goals of the WSU and National Parks Service civil rights oral history project, the work being done in the community regarding the documentation of African American history in the area, as well as make an announcement of a new survey project taking place in East Pasco regarding African American History. Individuals will also be invited to participate in the oral history project documenting African American life at the Hanford Site.

Individuals will then be invited to mingle, enjoy refreshments and learn more about the civil rights oral history project, as well as set up interviews for the project. Posters displaying life for African American workers at the Hanford Site will also be on display.

The Hanford History Project received a grant from the National Park Service recently to analyze the experience of African Americans at Hanford, as well as research and document African American migration, immigration and settlement before and after coming to Hanford. Hanford History Project staff are looking to interview African American individuals who had some experience of the Hanford Site at the time of the Manhattan Project or in the years after.

���We hope to talk to anyone who worked at Hanford or resided in the Tri-Cities from 1943 up through the late 1960s,��� said Michael Mays, director of the Hanford History Project. ���We want to understand, in better detail and scope, what the experiences were of these individuals from a personal angle.���

Appointment times will be available for those who wish to schedule oral history interviews and information will be provided regarding scheduling interviews with friends or families not able to attend.

For more information on the event, and to participate in the oral history project, contact Jillian Gardner-Andrews at j.gardner-andrews@wsu.edu, or visit /hanfordhistory/.