Greater Scranton MLK Commission

STILL I RISE: Annual Community Celebration Dinner

The Greater Scranton MLK Commission will host the Annual Community Celebration and Awards Dinner

Sunday, January 14, 2024 beginning promptly at 2:00p.m.

The University of Scranton
Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center
900 Mulberry St.

Scranton, PA 18510

PURCHASE TICKETS AND/OR SPONSOR THE PROGRAM HERE. 

The theme for 2024 is Still I Rise.

'We must walk on in the day ahead with an audacious faith in the future.' -Rev, Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr. 

sara-solfanelli-pic.jpgKeynote presentation, 'Where do we go from here?'

by SARA E. SOLFANELLI, Esq., Special Counsel for Pro Bono Initiatives at Schulte Roth & Zabel.

Solfanelli oversees the firm's robust pro bono program, where she leverages the firm's resources to represent indigent individuals seeking justice, bring impact litigation for a more just and fair society, and develop strategic partnerships with international, national and local nonprofit organizations to enable them to better achieve their missions. Under Sara's leadership, an incredible 70% of SRZ’s lawyers, along with dozens of business staff, participated in pro bono in 2022.

Sara works closely with Justice for Greenwood to seek justice for the survivors and descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and she is part of the SRZ Tulsa Race Massacre Litigation Team that brought the groundbreaking lawsuit Randle v. City of Tulsa et. al, which has had precedent-setting wins and has garnered significant national attention in the press.

Tickets for this event are $25 each, $150 per table reservation of 6. Event sponsors are greatly appreciated!

PURCHASE TICKETS AND/OR SPONSOR THE PROGRAM HERE

Interfaith Prayer Service

Monday, January 15, 2024 @ 7:00 p.m.

The Scranton Area Ministerium, in partnership with the GSMLKC, will host the annual interfaith prayer service, Charlotte Ledbetter, program coordinator.

Shiloh Baptist Church
223 William St.
Scranton, PA 18508

Rev. Michael Brewster, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, presiding.

More Weekend Event Information

psu-mlk-event-2024.pngMLK DAY CELEBRATION KEYNOTE SPEAKER
LASHA WYMAN-KLEIN, Program Director Keystone Mission

Friday, January 12, 2024 at 11 a.m.
Doors open, registration starts at 10:45 a.m.

The View Café, Study Learning Center
at Penn State Scranton

Register to attend by January 8, 2024:
scranton.psu.edu/mlk 
Contact Emily Glodzik
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator
Email: esg127@psu.edu | Phone: 570-963-2680

SPONSORED BY EMPOWER

Lasha Wyman-Klein has received early accolades throughout her high school career as the Diversity Coordinator in 2008 from the NAACP and the NeighborWorks association for her work with inner city communities in Baltimore, Maryland. Wyman-Klein graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor of science degree in human development and family studies and a minor in psychology. The daughter of an activist, Wyman-Klein has followed in the footsteps of those before her donating much of her time to volunteering within the community, specifically low-income housing and food insecure
communities.

Early in her career, Wyman-Klein worked with at-risk groups, including those with mental health and substance addiction difficulties. In March 2022, she began working as a Vocational Specialist at Keystone Mission, where she helped homeless clients choose their career options by aligning their training, experience, and education with their interests rather than their constraints.

Wyman-Klein assumed the role of Scranton Program Director in 2023, assisting staff with program setup and cultivating connections with other organizations. Her implementation of the Pathfinders Vocational Program,
the yearly Go Green Community Clean Up campaign, Keystone’s inaugural Poetry & Worship Night for visitors, and her successful advocacy and acquisition of public shower access for the homeless, have all occurred during her tenure at Keystone Mission.

TALKING ABOUT RACISM LIBRARY: A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION SERIES

Nationwide protests in the wake of the killings of George Floyd and other Black people have brought renewed attention to longstanding issues of racism and social justice. Talking about race can be difficult, but with curiosity, knowledge, and empathy, it is possible to come together as a community to listen, learn, and work for change.

This series is a project of the Greater Scranton Martin Luther King Commission in collaboration with: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Johnson College, Lackawanna College, Marywood University, Penn State Scranton, and The University of Scranton. These recorded sessions are available to the public to continue these important conversations. Click on the links below to access the video recordings of the presentations. Full information including speaker bios and follow up materials may be found at https://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/talking-about-racism.shtml.
  • OCTOBER 1•DEFINING AND IDENTIFYING RACISM
    • Arthur Breese, Director of Diversity, Geisinger
    • Teresa Grettano, PhD, Associate Professor of English/Theatre, The University of Scranton
    • Moderator: Cathy Ann Hardaway, President, Greater Scranton MLK Commission
    • PowerPoint Presentation
    • Video Recording
  • OCTOBER 8•UNDERSTANDING WHITE PRIVILEGE AND ALLYSHIP
    • Leon John, PhD, Director of Alumni Engagement, East Stroudsburg University
    • Jessica Nolan, PhD, Professor of Psychology, The University of Scranton
    • Moderator: Ida Castro, JD, MLK Commission, GCSOM
    • PowerPoint Presentation
    • Video Recording
  • OCTOBER 15•DISCUSSING BLACK LIVES MATTER
    • Glynis Johns, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Black Scranton Project
    • Yerodin Lucas, PhD, Interim Director Office of Equity & Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator, Marywood University
    • Moderator: Lia Richards Palmiter, PhD, MLK Commission, Marywood University
    • PowerPoint Presentation
    • Video Recording
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