UD Hosts Panel Discussion on Martin Luther King Jr.
Feb 17, 2010 | University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
The University of Dubuque's will present a viewing of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, followed by a panel discussion, on Thursday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Dunlap Technology Center's Hadley Auditorium on the UD campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Communication scholar Michael Osborn claims that King's "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech of April 3, 1968-the night before he was assassinated-is one of the great orations of the Twentieth century. He sees it as an example of "a point of convergence, in which speaker, auditors, and events ... all come together in grand illumination. Time freezes in that moment, and the meaning of the panorama stands revealed: the great speech translates into heightened consciousness and even into revelation."
"For many people in the University community and the city of Dubuque, this may be the first opportunity to witness the delivery of this message from Dr. King," commented Dr. Robert Reid, professor of communication. "We can hope it will lead to a heightened consciousness' and believe that for some it may even be a revelation.' Our panelists will reflect on their own response to this speech and how they understand the continuing relevance of its message for our time and our experience."
Participating panelists in the following discussion include: Claudette Bees, principal of Dubuque's Central Alternative High School; Henry Grubb, UD professor of psychology; John Hatch, UD associate professor of communication and Wendt professor; Daniel Johnson, assistant principal, of Dubuque Senior High School; and Jacqueline Thompson, UDTS MDIV student and pastor of the Santa Fe United Methodist Church in Fort Madison, IA.
