Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024

Centered on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Bates is a community-wide opportunity to discuss, teach, and reflect on the legacy of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.

Each year, Bates students, faculty, staff, local community members, and campus visitors gather to examine contemporary human issues through the lens of King’s work and ideas, broadly defined. It is a full day of thought, reflection, and aspiration for the entire community. 

The Bates MLK Day website offers helpful information about this year’s theme, Food Justice, and keynote speaker Bryant Terry, as well as a full schedule of events and resources to learn more about the history of MLK Day at Bates.


Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024

2pm | Film and Discussion

Screening and discussion. The film Gather follows the stories of Native Americans from four tribes who are on the frontlines of a growing movement to reconnect with spiritual and cultural identities that were devastated by genocide.


Moderators: Daphne Comeau, Academic Administrative Assistant; Joe Hall, Associate Professor of History; Jennifer Hamilton, Professor of Anthropology; Stephanie Pridgeon, Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies

Location: Olin 104 | Reserve ticket here


7–8pm | MLK Day Spoken Word Festival

Presentation: The Multifaith Chaplaincy convenes an evening of powerful words and uplifting songs to celebrate the many voices of the movement that propelled Martin Luther King Jr. We will hear from poets, spoken word artists, and musicians, including original works by students, faculty, and the evening’s special guest, Maya Williams, poet laureate of Portland, Maine. 

Location: Gomes Chapel


Monday, Jan. 15

9–10:30am | The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Keynote

Keynote speaker and presenter Bryant Terry is an award-winning chef, food justice activist, and critically acclaimed author.

Welcoming Remarks
Tyler Harper, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

President’s Welcome
Garry W. Jenkins, President of Bates College

Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Phoebe Stern ‘24

Keynote Address
Bryant Terry

Closing
James Reese, Associate Dean for International Student Programs

Location: Gomes Chapel | Reserve ticket here


10:45am–12:15pm | Workshops: Session I

MLK: Now Is the Time VR Experience (also offered in Session II)
Presentation: This 17-minute immersive virtual-reality experience offers participants the feeling of marching among the 250,000-plus people who joined the historic March on Washington in 1963 and heard King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.


Presenters: Dale Rothenberg, academic technology consultant, 3D technologies; Branden Rush, senior academic technology consultant VR/AR and 3D technologies
Sponsors: Curricular & Research Computing, Bates VizLab

Location: VizLab, Coram 103 | This event is sold out


Food Justice in Science Fiction Futures
Discussion: Explore manners in science fiction, delving into the intersection of food sovereignty, genetic modification, and capitalism. Discussion includes story analysis and broader context.

Presenter: Mac Gaither ‘24
Sponsor: Program in Environmental Studies

Location: Dana 219 | | Reserve ticket here


Working for Food and Land Justice
Panel discussion: A roundtable discussion aimed at foregrounding organizations working towards food and land justice in Lewiston/Auburn and southern Maine. Representatives from the Somali Bantu Community Association, St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, Presente!, and Land in Common share their expertise about the challenges in reaching food sovereignty in the region, particularly for people historically with limited access to land.

Moderators: Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Christine Martinez, Professor of Environmental Studies and Christian A. Johnson Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies Holly Ewing
Sponsor: Program in Environmental Studies

Location: Pettengill G21 | Reserve ticket here


Decarbonization and Energy Equity
Presentation and discussion: A description of climate change science and its implications for humanity; discussion of new energy technologies and their associated equity issues.

Presenter: Professor of Physics John Smedley
Sponsor: Department of Physics and Astronomy

Location: Pettengill G52 | Reserve ticket here


Fueling Mental Well-being: Food and Mental Health
Panel discussion: A discussion sponsored by Bates Counseling and Psychological Services about how food and diet intersect with college students’ mental health, including strategies for managing stress and promoting mental well-being, and ways in which food intersects with these areas. Part of this presentation will discuss disordered eating.

Panelists: Wendy Kjeldgaard, Psy.D., psychologist, Bates CAPS; Brandon Ouelette, LCPC, counselor, Bates CAPS; Heidi Walls, M.D., medical director, Bates Sports Medicine
Moderators: Wayne Assing, LCSW, director of Bates CAPS; and Susanna Preziosi, Psy.D., psychologist, Bates CAPS
Sponsor: Bates Counseling and Psychological Services

Location: Pettengill G65 | Reserve ticket here


Farmworkers at the Heart of Maine’s Food System
Presentation: Farmworkers are essential to the U.S. food system yet face stigma and discrimination. Presenters from Maine Mobile Health Program will share the history and experiences working with Maine’s seasonal farmworkers. Participants will increase their understanding of Maine’s food system and the people who work in these industries, with opportunities to check their own biases, build awareness, and learn about action steps.

Presenters: Hannah Miller ’14 and Laura Valencia Orozco, Maine Mobile Health Program
Sponsor: Maine Mobile Health Program

Location: Hedge 106 | Reserve ticket here


Lunch and Midday Programming

11am–1pm

Lunch
Special price of $7

Location: Commons


12:15–4:30p
Just Flour

Workshop: Two-session workshop intertwines African American baking, environmental justice discussions, and hands-on bread making.

Led by: Phoebe Stern ’24 and Tyler Harper, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Location: Roger Williams G17 | This event is sold out


1:15–2:45pm | Workshops: Session II

MLK: Now Is the Time VR Experience
Presentation: This 17-minute immersive virtual-reality experience offers participants the feeling of marching among the 250,000-plus people who joined the historic March on Washington in 1963 and heard King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.


Presenters: Dale Rothenberg, academic technology consultant, 3D technologies; Branden Rush, senior academic technology consultant VR/AR and 3D technologies
Sponsors: Curricular & Research Computing, Bates VizLab

Location: VizLab, Coram 103 | Reserve ticket here


Bringing Halal School Meals to Southern Maine: Addressing Nutrition Insecurity, Engaging Community, and Supporting Food Service Staff

Panel discussion: The alarming rate of food insecurity in U.S. schools disproportionately impacts halal-observing students. The Halal School Meals Network, based in Portland, Maine, will be among the first community-led pilot programs in the country to bring certified halal school meals to nearly 30 schools in Portland, Westbrook, and South Portland. HSMN is engaging key stakeholders, including community advocates, local and national food security nonprofits, and the local food service directors and staff.

Presenters: Amelia Keleher ‘21, Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America; Khadija Ahmed, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Food For All Services; Lily Chaleff, farm to school coordinator and food justice consultant; Firdaws Hakizimana, Immigrant Welcome Center.

Sponsors: Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Program in American Studies, Department of Anthropology

Location: Pettengill G52 | Reserve ticket here


Young Mainers’ Efforts for Food and Climate Justice

Presentation: Beginning with presentation of Youth Food Champion Awards to five contributors to a healthier food system in Lewiston-Auburn, followed by Scarlet Labbe-Watson discussing Maine’s food sovereignty and climate justice connections.

Presenter: Scarlet Labbe-Watson, Maine Youth for Climate Justice
Sponsor: Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn

Location: Pettengill G21 | Reserve ticket here


Alicia Kennedy on Food and Food Justice

Presentation: Kennedy, author of No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating, offers a Zoom lecture on food and food justice. In her weekly newsletter, From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy, with more than 25,000 subscribers, Kennedy writes about food culture, politics, and media.

Presenter: Alicia Kennedy (via Zoom)
Sponsor: Research Services of Bates Information and Library Services, American Studies and Latin American Studies

Location: Dana 204 | Reserve ticket here


A Lot On Your Plate? Halfway to Zero at Bates

Workshop and field trip: Bates faces food waste despite sustainability efforts. This workshop aims to address inequities and environmental damages inherent in food waste through data collection, resource processing, and brainstorming sessions combined with lectures and hands-on work. This two-session workshop includes a visit to We Compost It in Auburn.

Presenters: Mariam Almzainy ‘27, Miles Kaufman ‘26, James Usher ‘26

Location: Commons 201 | Reserve ticket here


Food Demonstration by Bryant Terry

Demonstration: MLK Day keynote speaker Bryant Terry, a James Beard Award–winning chef, educator, author, and activist, shares his passion for the intersection of food and culture.

Presenter: Bryant Terry

Location: Commons 221/222 | This event is sold out


3–4:30pm | Workshops: Session III

Namibia, the German Genocide, and the Lack of Land: A Film Screening and Discussion with Filmmakers of Nuh-Mi-Bee-Uhn

Film and Discussion: The documentary Nuh-Mi-Bee-Uhn delves into the 1904–08 German genocide in Namibia. Bridging geography and time, the film describes the indelible and far-reaching impacts of the genocide and the ongoing struggle for reparations and reconciliation in Namibia, where land is at the heart of conversations about genocide and its afterlives. Most descendants of survivors live in rural and barren areas, while white minority Namibians own up to 75 percent of the country’s arable land.

Presenters: Kavena Hambira, contemporary Namibian artist, filmmaker, and writer; Miriam Gleckman-Krut, Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of Michigan
Sponsor: Program in American Studies

Location: Pettengill G52 | Reserve ticket here


Not From Away: Expanding the Definition of Maine Food

Presentation and workshop: Is Maine food a cuisine limited to a mythologized past, or does it expand with each wave of immigrants and their traditions? The editors of the Maine Bicentennial Community Cookbook and the Maine Community Cookbook (vol. 2) discuss their inclusive vision that honors the food traditions of all people who call Maine their home, and bring to the table four different styles of cornbread whose recipes are included in the Maine community cookbooks: anadama bread, johnnycake, muufo, and creamy cornmeal cake.

Presenters: Karl Schatz, Community Plate; Margaret Hathway, Community Plate, food writer, cookbook author; Don Lindgren, Rabelais Books and food and cookbook historian
Sponsor: Community Plate

Location: Pettengill G65 | Reserve ticket here


What Even Is “Ethnic” Food??: A Reflection on Identity, Hybridity, and Authenticity

Workshop: In deconstructing the concept of “ethnic food” and Euro-American perspectives on cultural cuisine, attendees will be invited to share stories of pride, shame, assimilation, fusion, or family to explore what it means when food is constituted as ethnic and who gets to decide what food counts as “normal.”

Presenters: Madeleine Lee ’24, Ruby Forde ‘24
Location: Pettengill G21 | Reserve ticket here


Fashion and Race: The Origins of Streetwear in Hip Hop Culture

Presentation and discussion: Origins of current fashion trends in hip hop culture and the marginalization and lack of credit to BIPOC roots.

Presenter: Janie Phillips ‘27
Location: Dana 219 | Reserve ticket here


4:45–5:30pm | The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays Debate

Debate: Presented by students from Morehouse College and Bates College, this debate honors Dr. Mays, a 1920 Bates graduate, prominent debater, longtime Morehouse president, pioneer of the civil rights movement, and important mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s motion: This house believes that illegal community farms are a just response to food deserts.

Location: Olin Concert Hall | Reserve ticket here


7:30pm | Sankofa

Panel discussion: This year, the program by the Black Student Union will feature a panel where the presenters share the annual foundational premise of highlighting and discussing interesting differences among students here of the African diaspora. The audience will also be invited to participate in the exchanges.

Location: Olin Arts Center Concert Hall | Reserve ticket here