The Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Task Force Education Committee will sponsor the 3rd
annual MLK 2006 Youth Peace & Diversity Workshop on Thursday,
November 2 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Northland Center, located at 21500
Northwestern Highway in Southfield.
The workshop will
allow 125 seventh and eighth grade students from different racial
backgrounds and school districts an opportunity to interact. The
workshop is designed to empower students to build bridges of peace and
understanding between themselves and diverse populations in their
respective schools and communities. Students from the Southfield, West
Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, Detroit and Livonia public school
districts will participate to help them prepare for our global society.
The students will interact in a structured environment discussing
specific predetermined topics and issues with the focus on building
understanding and inclusion. Student participants will gain valuable
insight into other viewpoints as well as important skills for
leadership, peacemaking, anger management and conflict resolution.
The workshop is
sponsored by Northland Center, the Southfield Community Foundation,
Compuware, Pi Tau Omega Foundation and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Task Force. It will be facilitated by Richard Smart, III, Sheri Schiff,
and Dr. Bernadette Najor. Following the workshop there will be
quarterly dialogues and periodic exchanges between participants through
e-mails and blogs. This will further give students an opportunity to
interact with one another and to discuss how they have applied their
workshop skills in their communities.
A pre-workshop
reception will be held on October 24 for the parents, facilitators,
school and elected officials from the various districts to outline the
workshop purpose and objectives. The reception will be underwritten and
hosted by the Eaton Corporation in Southfield.
Southfield was the
first city in the state of Michigan to hold a Dr. King peace walk or
march. The first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Walk took place on
January 20, 1986, commemorating the first national observance of Dr.
King=s birthday. The walk continues to grow in size and scope each
year, with year-long educational and community outreach activities. The
city of Southfield and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force
Committee will host the 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
Peace Walk Celebration on Monday, January 15, 2007 beginning at 9:30
a.m. at Hope United Methodist Church, located at 26275 Northwestern Hwy.
For further information, please contact Barbara Talley, MLK Education Chair, at (248) 252-5472.