Judge Greg Mathis to highlight King Celebration - 01/11/05

COLUMBUS – Judge Greg Mathis will deliver the keynote address at The Ohio State University’s 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday (1/12) at Independence Hall, 1923 Neil Ave. “Celebrating the Legacy: Voices Raised for Freedom” is the theme for the university’s 2005 observance. The event is free and open to the public.

Mathis, a committed civil rights activist and host of the reality courtroom television show “Judge Mathis,” will discuss King’s legacy and current related issues.

Mathis rose to national prominence in 1995 after becoming the youngest elected judge in Michigan. His election to the 36th District Court represented a symbol of hope for urban youth struggling to overcome poverty, drugs and violence.

A former street youth and high school dropout, a concerned judge ordered Mathis to obtain his GED or face jail time. He did and also attended Eastern Michigan University where he led the “Free South Africa” and voter registrations campaigns. Following his graduation in 1983, Mathis worked with the Rev. Jesse Jackson at Operation PUSH and worked for legendary Detroit Mayor Coleman Young from 1986-1993.

Mathis and his wife co-founded Detroit-based “Young Adults Asserting Themselves” in 1986, a non-profit agency dedicated to promoting positive youth development, safer communities and strengthening families.

Additional activities follow:

Tuesday (1/11)
• Introduction to the Life of Dr. King
6:30 p.m., Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, 153 W. 12th Ave.
Members of Iota Phi Theta and Omega Psi Phi fraternities, and Black Men Investing will share the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Wednesday (1/12)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil
6 p.m., South Oval
Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will host a candlelight vigil on the South and lead a march to Independence Hall for the official King celebration program, featuring Judge Greg Mathis.

Friday (1/14)
• Alpha Phi Alpha Bowl-a-Thon and Breakfast
10 p.m. to 3 a.m., Sequoia Pro Bowling Lanes, 5501 Sandalwood Blvd.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will host the fundraiser with proceeds benefiting the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Monday (1/17)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St., and the Columbus community
In celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ohio State students will participate in the “MLK Jr. Day of Service 2005” at various community agencies in Columbus.

This annual event brings together hundreds of students and community members for a day of service. Students will participate in a morning program from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Ohio Union before leaving for their designated sites and return to campus at 2 p.m. Students may register to participate at: http://www.ohiounion.com/articles.asp?ID=135

• Martin Luther King Jr. Student March and Rally
Ohio State students will join students from Columbus State Community College in a symbolic march from the Ohio State campus to the citywide march and celebration in downtown Columbus. Students will depart from the Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center, 153 W. 12th Ave., at approximately 3 p.m.