大象传媒

Martin Luther King III was the featured speaker at the 24^th annual R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues in September. Along with his presentation, he attended a sponsor reception and a breakfast with 25 student leaders. He also spoke at a lunch in the Fulkerson Center.

King鈥檚 presentation in the Looney Complex, 鈥淓mbracing the Ideals of Freedom, Justice and Equality,鈥� drew two standing ovations from the audience of over 3,000.

鈥淭hose were the core principles of my father鈥檚 leadership,鈥� he told those attending. 鈥淢y parents held these ideals in high esteem, and my father鈥檚 life was focused on freedom, justice and equality.鈥�

He said after his father died, his mother was often asked to attend or speak at events. 鈥淢y mom would ask, 鈥榟ow does that serve the cause?鈥� And the cause was always freedom, justice and equality. That question is still worth asking today. If you hold fast to these ideals, you鈥檙e going to be okay.鈥�

At the breakfast prior to his presentation, King opened the floor for questions from the students, and one asked him how he controlled his anger.

鈥淎 lot of times I鈥檓 disappointed,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I try not to get angry.鈥� In quoting his father and his message of nonviolence, he noted that 鈥渧iolence can鈥檛 stamp out violence.鈥�

After the event in the arena, King participated in a question-and-answer session at the lunch for an audience of more than 300.

鈥淢r. King had a very important message for our students, employees, area high school students and community members,鈥� said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 president. 鈥淚t is hard to believe that in 2018, his father will have been gone for 50 years, yet his message is still as relevant today as it was then.鈥�

Martin Luther King III views 鈥淜ing & Cronkite鈥� performance

Martin Luther King III鈥檚 visit to campus for the R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues included a sponsor reception on Monday evening, Sept. 12. The reception ended with a special performance of 鈥淜ing & Cronkite,鈥� 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 live, multimedia show.

Based on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.鈥檚 1963 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech, 鈥淜ing & Cronkite鈥� features the words of the civil rights leader and the reflections of Walter Cronkite on the civil rights movement. Through historical photographs, music, and live actors, 鈥淜ing & Cronkite鈥� explores the intersecting journeys of those two who helped define the 20th century. Walter Coppage plays Dr. King and Jim Korinke plays Walter Cronkite.

鈥淚t was such an honor to be able to have Dr. King鈥檚 son view the performance,鈥� said Jerry Pickman 鈥�85, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the 大象传媒 Western Foundation. 鈥淭o know he was in the audience for the performance made it very moving.鈥�

Dr. Robert Vartabedian, 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 president, said that King, after seeing the show, is interested in using it as part of his tour of public schools in 2018, which marks the 50^th anniversary of his father鈥檚 assassination.

Plans are also underway to perform the Walter Cronkite Memorial鈥檚 first live, multimedia performance, 鈥淐ronkite,鈥� as part of a ceremony in Kansas City, 大象传媒 to name a street in honor of Walter Cronkite. It will be performed in Topeka, Kansas, as well.