\u201cMLK Day is a day of empowerment for a lot of students,\u201d says Losseni Barry \u201922 of New York City. \u201cIt gives them the opportunity to speak about what they feel is important within the Black community, as well as within the Bates community and Lewiston community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Central to celebrating and exploring the relationship between Bates and Lewiston on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Sankofa. Now in its 10th year<\/a>, the annual student-run performance, scheduled for Monday evening at 8<\/a>, explores the experiences of the African diaspora through theater, music, and dance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n 2020 MLK Day Schedule at Bates<\/strong> Abdulwahab Mohamed \u201922 of Lewiston is the organizer of Sankofa, while Barry wrote the script and directed the performance. The theme of the performance this year is \u201cInvisible Women,\u201d featuring the stories of women of color at Bates and in Lewiston.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The theme is particularly meaningful for Mohamed, who first saw a Sankofa performance as a high school student in Lewiston.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Video by Theophil Syslo.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\r\n
Bates’ distinctive celebration of MLK Day, from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening<\/a>, includes the suspension of all classes on Monday to make way for programming to discuss, teach, and reflect on the MLK Day theme.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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