A garlanding ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13, at the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. monument in Fresno State’s Peace Garden will pay tribute to the late civil rights leader.
The campus will be closed Monday, Jan. 16, for the national holiday in observance of King’s birthday.
Friday’s campus event will be led by Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor, professor emeritus of Social Work Education and Peace and Conflict Studies, after a community celebration from noon-1 p.m. at the Fresno County Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno.
The King monument at Fresno State is one of four honoring peace advocates in the Peace Garden, which Kapoor helped established in 1990.
The 6-foot, 500-pound statue of Rev. King by artist Richard Blake, an assistant professor of art history at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, was dedicated Jan. 18, 1998, with King’s eldest daughter, the late Yolanda King, delivering the keynote.
Dr. King is depicted in his ministerial robes, holding a small child, which Blake said represents innocence and is symbolic of Dr. King’s concern with future generations.
Kapor said the public is invited to bring flowers to lay at the base of the King statue.
The two events Friday kick off four days of observances in Fresno and Clovis. Details for the community events are available at www.fresnomlk.com.
The campus closure includes the Henry Madden Library, which will be closed Jan. 14-16, reopening at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, when spring semester classes begin. University Health and Psychological Services will be closed to the public for the weekend beginning Friday and will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The Kennel Bookstore on campus also will be closed Monday but open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Bulldog Shop at Cedar and Barstow avenues will be open Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Gibson Farm Market at Barstow and Chestnut avenues will be selling student-produced foods throughout the weekend (9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday).
The University Police Department will be on duty to handle emergencies by calling 559.278.8400.
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