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College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Symposium

Monday, January 20, 2025

8:30 a.m. 4 p.m.
Bethany Hall (Virtual option also available)


In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of America's most revered advocates for racial justice and social change, the College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies, will once again offer a special one-credit workshop to be held on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Now in its seventh year, the event will be offered in-person with a virtual, livestream option. Pre-registration is required.

For those who wish to view the event virtually, a link to join the event will be sent via email upon registration.

This year, the keynote address will be presented by Drew Hart, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology at Messiah University.  

Additional course content for the day includes esteemed faculty colleagues presenting informative assessments of historical and contemporary issues and applying their disciplinary skills to discuss a range of topics, including social experience, racism, sexism, classism, religious intolerance, hate speech, instructional content and teacher preparation.

As part of the symposium, participants will also have the opportunity to participate in an Interactive Community Idea Board to share their valuable insights, engage and interact with each other, identifying takeaways throughout the day, and share their commitment and actions that could extend beyond the event and into the participants’ communities.  

Should have questions or require special accommodations to attend this event, please contact ceps@shu.edu

How to Register

If you are a Seton Hall:

  • Undergraduate who does *not* wish to receive credit
  • Graduate student
  • Alumnus/alumna
  • Employee
  • Member of the surrounding community (non-SHU)

Register Here

If you are a Seton Hall undergraduate looking to earn credit, please register for AFAM 3291: MLK Day Symposium (CRN: 14755) via PirateNet.

*Undergraduate students looking to earn credit must attend the symposium in-person or virtually and register via PirateNet for the credit. Students participating virtually must access the course through the virtual link.

Register Here

Schedule of Events

8:45 a.m. 

Musical and Historical Interlude – “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Morehouse Glee Club Choir

9 - 11:30 a.m.

Morning Programs

 

Symposium Introduction
Reverend Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D
Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program 

 

Statement of Academic Purpose
Jonathan Farina, Ph.D.
Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 

 

Prayers for Peace and Harmony 
Clergy of the Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Protestant Faith Traditions

 

Litany for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reverend Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D.
Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program 

 

Welcome from the Provost
Katia Passerini, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President

 

Welcome 
Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D.
President

 

Keynote Introduction and Cultural Presentation
Reverend Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D.
Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program 

Table Facilitation

 

Keynote Address 
Drew Hart, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor of Theology, Messiah University
Program Director, Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice

About the Speaker »

 

The Catholic Intellectual Tradition and MLK Leadership and Intellectual Legacy
Reverend Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D.
Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program 

 

"MLK Speaks on Leadership"
Student Voices, MLK Scholars Class of 2028

12 - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch Break and Table Facilitation

12:45 - 4 p.m.

Afternoon Program / Faculty Presentations

 

Faculty Discussions

Presentations and discussions on paradigms and models for global justice.

  • Human Development, Culture, and Media
  • Healthcare
  • Law
  • Nonprofit Sector
  • Africana Studies Faculty Panel
  • Closing Reverend Forrest Pritchett, Ph.D.

About Drew Hart, Ph.D., Keynote Speaker

Drew G. I. Hart is an Associate Professor of Theology at Messiah University, where he also serves as Program Director for Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice. As a scholar rooted in Christian ethics, Black theology, and Anabaptism, Hart’s work studies white supremacy, liberation and peacemaking, and discipleship in the way of Jesus, with a focus on how the church can embody a radical and prophetic counter-witness against all death-dealing forces at work in our world.

Hart is the author of Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism (2016), Who Will Be A Witness?: Igniting Activism for God’s Justice, Love, and Deliverance (2020), and co-editor and contributor to Reparations and the Theological Disciplines: Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair (2023). His scholarship challenges the church to resist the distortions of Christian faith that justify racial injustice and social exploitation, instead calling for a Jesus-shaped discipleship that stands in solidarity with the least, last and little ones in society. Learn more »