Hamilton College Kicks Off Week Long Commemoration of Dr. King

Clinton, NY (WIBX) - Martin Luther King Jr. Day is being commemorated throughout the country, and here in Oneida County, Hamilton College is marking the occasion with events throughout the week.

MLK Day events kicked off with Hamilton employees taking part in the 5th Annual Community Service Day, by providing community service throughout Oneida County. And, this evening the commemoration continues with a dinner theatre production of Our Lady of 121st Street. Allen Harrison, Associate Dean of Students for Diversity and Accessibility at Hamilton said, "There have been significant advances since Dr. King's unfortunate assassination but I still think there's obviously areas where Dr. King would probably be very active if he were alive today in our country and globally."

Harrison said for a number of years, Hamilton College has coordinated with different offices on the campus to celebrate and commemorate Dr. King by looking at the day at a more "macro perspective" by not just celebrating the day, but by having events throughout the week. He said the idea of the dinner theatre was born out of that mission.

The first production of Our Lady of 121st Street by Stephen Adley Guirgis  starts tonight at 6:00PM in the Fillius Events Barn on the campus of Hamilton College. Harrison said tickets for tonight's and Tuesday night's show are already sold out but there are still a few tickets left for Wednesday's production. Also, a special service will be held this Sunday in the school's Chapel to commemorate Dr. King. He said the event is open to the public.

Harrison said, "We've come some way but I think there's still a long ways to go. There's never really, I think, a total answer to the human condition of some of the challenges that we face but I think, he would still call us to action today to continue to press on as humans to feel that compassion towards one another."

Today is the 26th commemoration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tickets for the dinner theatre is $15, and reservations can be made by calling (315) 859-4331.