Library and B.L.A.C.K. Lawrence to host Martin Luther King Jr. Day stories, screening and poetry workshop

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The Lawrence Public Library has a series of free activities and community service opportunities slated for Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The events are scheduled to occur between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16 at Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont St. All ages are invited to join in, according to a Friday news release.

To start off the morning, Librarians Jenny Cook and Ms. Linda will tell stories and lead a crafting activity from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Then from noon to 1:30 p.m., a free lunch from Taco Zone will be provided to the first 100 people who attend a screening of the HBO documentary about young people participating in a public speaking competition, called “We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest,” according to the release.

Finally, B.L.A.C.K. Lawrence (Black Literature and Arts Collective of Kansas) members, including presenters Alex Kimball-Williams and Dr. Mercedes Lucero, will facilitate a zine poetry workshop in honor of MLK Jr. as well as share and discuss their artwork from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m, according to the news release. Participants will be able to “get creative” and exchange different ways of thinking about art.

There will also be a Winter Emergency Shelter donation drive held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, according to the news release. Prepackaged, nonperishable food items, hygiene supplies, underwear, wool socks, towels, hand and foot warmers, baby wipes, hats, gloves, vitamin C powder, and individual tissue packs can be brought to the library auditorium, and members of the Kids’ Action Club will package donations into kits for distribution. Organizers ask donations be new, rather than used, items.

For those who would like to donate after Monday, the library will continue to accept items at the Ask Desk from then through Sunday, Jan. 22 during regular business hours, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, according to the news release.

“As part of the library’s mission to inspire Lawrence to learn, connect, create, and grow, we recognize the voices of historically-marginalized groups of people, as well as learn from cultures that are outside of the mainstream normative culture,” Information Services Librarian Terese Winters said in the release.

Visit the library’s website to learn more.

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