Blaster bates biography of martin luther king

Each year, Bates students, faculty, staff, local community members, and campus visitors gather on MLK Day to examine contemporary human issues through the lens of King’s work and ideas, broadly defined.

The format, an all-college gathering followed by a full day of talks, panels, presentation, performance, and film, was influenced by the unique circumstances surrounding the 1991 King Day observance.

On Jan. 16, 1991, the Persian Gulf War began, the U.S.’s first major armed conflict in a generation. Two days later, the Bates faculty voted to cancel classes on MLK Day — Monday, Jan. 21 — “in honor of and to reflect upon Dr. King’s contributions to world peace, and to reflect upon the issues of peace and justice in the Middle East,” in the words of Professor of Religion Marcus Bruce ’77.

An all-college convocation began the MLK Day programming, followed by a full day of events, many using King’s life an