SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY TO REMEMBER KING

Southeast Missouri State University will remember slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King at several events planned for January and February.

Highlighting events will be the 16th annual Martin Luther King Memorial Breakfast on Jan. 15 at 8 a.m. at the Show Me Center.

The featured speaker will be Donna Cavitte of Jefferson City, Mo., the first black female director of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The breakfast will feature performances by area choirs.

Admission will be $6.50 for the public, $3 for children ages six to 12, $3 for Southeast students without a meal plan and free for children 5 years of age and younger and Southeast students with a university meal plan.

Tickets will be sold at the door, but also are available in advance at the Southeast Bookstore in the University Center through Jan. 13.

Cavitte, who will speak at the breakfast, is a founding board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Capitol City and serves on the organization's board of governors.

She has been a member of the National Association of Human Rights Workers since 1986 and is a deaconess at Second Christian Church. She is a lifetime member of the NAACP.

At 2 p.m. on Jan. 15, "A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." will be held in the ShopKo Court area foyer in Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. The program will feature musical, oratorical and theatrical performances from area schools and by members of the community.

The Rev. James Webb of Selma, Ala., will be the guest speaker at the 11th annual Community Celebration at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Greater Dimension Church, 725 Hackberry.

Webb is a longtime civil rights activist. He appeared in "The Eyes on the Prize" video series. The Community Celebration will include the presentation of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award.

Other events are scheduled to begin in January and continue through February when the university will celebrate Black History Month.

Beginning Jan. 5, seniors at 10 area high schools will participate in an essay contest with the theme, "Renewing Dr. King's Dream in the 21st Century."

Cape Girardeau elementary school students will participate in an annual art contest. Their artwork will be displayed in the University Center Program Lounge and at area businesses.