The African American Studies Research Center and Ethnic Studies Department at California State University, Fresno will host the 5111 Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Conference on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

The conference opens at 9 a.m. in the Satellite Student Union (2485 E. San Ramon) and concludes with a cultural performance at 11:30 a.m.

The theme for this year’s conference is “A Call to Service and Civic Engagement.” The theme is tied to the “Declare Yourself’ event on campus occurring the same day. Declare Yourself is a national nonpartisan campaign to energize a new movement of young voters in the 2004 Presidential Election. (see www.declareyourself.com)

The purposes of the King conference are:

• to expose a group of students of diverse ethnic backgrounds to the legacy of Dr. King through an understanding of his methods of nonviolent approaches to living together as a community.

• to provide instruction to students on the application of conflict resolution through an understanding and awareness of human diversity.

The format of the conference will include an opening session, poster session, concurrent workshops on such areas as the methods of nonviolence, conflict resolution, civic participation, social activism, and human diversity awareness and understanding; and a Rally for Peace and Diversity involving several cultural performances.

In addition to Fresno State students, students from the following schools are participating in the conference: Scandinavian, Tenaya, Awahnee, Kastner, Central High, Clovis High, Clovis East, Clovis West and Buchanan High.

The schedule of events is as follows:

9 a.m.-10 a.m. Opening session, Satellite Student Union

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Concurrent workshop topics include:

• “Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King: Devil and Angel?” James Walton, professor of English, and Meta Schettler, professor of Africana & American Indian Studies

• “Welcoming Diversity,” Francine Oputa, director, Women’s Resource Center

• “Non-Violence and Social Change: Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez,” Manuel Figueroa, professor of Chicano and Latin American Studies

• “Dealing with Racism: Lessons from Social Psychology,” Steven Walker, professor of Criminology

• “Segregation vs. Integration in Education,” Yaw Oheneba-Sakyi, professor and chair, Africana & American Indian Studies; Charity Agomus, Shatoya Payton and LaViola Ward

• “King’s Community,” Timothy Kubal, professor of Sociology

• “Conflict Resolution,” Arthur Wint, professor of Criminology and coordinator, Peace & Conflict Studies

• “Reaching for the American Dream — The Disability Rights Movement,” Charles Degeneffe, professor of Rehabilitation Counseling

• “Dr. Martin Luther King’s Reflection on War,” Carlos Perez, professor of Chicano and Latin American Studies

• “The Martin Luther King You Don’t See on TV,” Matthew Jendian, professor of Sociology and director of American Humanics program

11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Closing rally, Poster awards presentation by Dr. Paulette Fleming, cultural performances in Satellite Student Union.

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