Pitt Program Council Sponsors Martin Luther King III Lecture Nov. 2

PITTSBURGH-Martin Luther King III, the second oldest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, will give a lecture presentation sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Program Council at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 2 in the University's William Pitt Union (WPU) Assembly Room, 3959 Fifth Ave., Oakland.

Pitt students may pick up their free tickets at the WPU Ticket Office. The ticket guarantees students admission until 8:15 p.m. Others may purchase tickets for $20 after 8:15 p.m., space permitting.

On the 40th anniversary of his father's appearance in the William Pitt Union, King will speak about the challenges his father's dream for social justice still poses today. His lecture, titled "My Father's Dream, My Mission," addresses the opportunity for social development towards equal access to those "unalienable rights" his father sought: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

King has spoken worldwide about racial and social inequality, lecturing from Mozambique to Mississippi on "The Dream Deferred," an examination of patterns of inequality. His approach to societal improvement is rooted in the tenets of nonviolent conflict resolution.

In 1986, King served on the board of commissioners in Fulton County, Georgia, and sponsored legislation that regulated minority business participation in public contracting, promoted the purification of the county's natural water resources, and required that hazardous waste disposal was executed in a manner that protected the environment.

King also is committed to fostering intellectual and emotional growth and development among young people. He founded the "King Summer Intern Program" to provide employment opportunities for high school students; developed "Hoops for Health," a charity basketball game intended to increase public awareness of newborn babies who suffer the effects of substance abuse; and established "A Call to Manhood," a program designed to connect young African American males with role models.

As president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) from 1997 through 2003, King convened police brutality hearings in 11 U.S. cities, an effort that culminated in the 2000 March on Washington. The SCLC, under King's direction, also initiated the Gun Buy-Back program, which involved coordinating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reduce gun use in 15 U.S. cities.

King received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Morehouse College; he is currently chief executive officer and president of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta.

For more information, call 412-648-7900 or visit www.pitt.edu/~ppc/mlk.htm.

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10/27/06/tmw