CARTERVILLE – John A. Logan College President Dr. Kirk Overstreet and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion have announced plans to host an annual celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a breakfast program honoring the life of the civil rights icon.

According to a JALC press release, the free event will be open to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 8 to 10 a.m. in the JALC Conference Center in Carterville. The event will take place then to allow more students to attend.

“We want our students and staff to be able to participate in all of the wonderful events here in southern Illinois on MLK Day. It was important to our staff to have an event that would allow more students and the community to attend. It also coincides with our first day of the spring semester, so we are looking forward to an exciting day,” said Dr. Overstreet. 

The theme for this year’s event is Living the Dream: It starts with me. Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of Kingian Nonviolence. The keynote speaker will be Terance Henry, the IT Director for the City of Marion.

The college will award the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship to Alexis Anders during the ceremony. Alexis is working towards her associate in arts degree in Criminal Justice.