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The �鶹���� Office of Multicultural Affairs will sponsor and host the university’s third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Prayer Breakfast and Celebration on January 20, starting at 7 a.m. in the Cromer Center on the Hickory campus. The breakfast and celebration program are free and open to the public.

For those unable to attend in person, a of the event is being offered on YouTube.

“The theme this year is ‘This Is Us. We Are You,’” shared Terry Phillips, director of multicultural affairs. “Our goal is to inspire others during a time of uncertainty. It is our hope that we lean on the inspiration of Dr. King’s words of wisdom: ‘Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.’ The sentiment is applicable for those affected by Hurricane Helene, global warming, political and social unrest, and Americans who feel marginalized and waning of hope. We are one. We are interconnected despite our differences. By coming together for a meal and a day of service, we offer hope and a call for change that will lift all.”

Breakfast will be served from 7-8:30 a.m. in the Cromer Center dining hall, accompanied by a live musical performance from Aquarius Moon and Friendz.

Following breakfast, the MLK Celebration program will take place in P.E. Monroe Auditorium from 8:45-10 a.m. The Rev. Kermit Moss, M. Div., instructor at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, will deliver the keynote address. He will be joined by remarks from �鶹���� President Fred Whitt, Ed.D., and other community leaders from Hickory and Catawba County.

At 10:30 a.m., after the program concludes, participants may join the annual march organized and sponsored by the Hickory NAACP. The march will set off from P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the �鶹���� campus and make its way through Hickory to Ridgeview Recreation Center.

Public parking is available on campus by the Shuford Arena and Moretz Stadium complex and by Grace Chapel. A full campus map, including the surrounding area, is available.