Hope College has scheduled activities throughout Jan. 16-21 in conjunction with the national commemoration of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The events will begin with an opening prayer and devotion, and will feature a commemorative service and keynote address, a luncheon, a Gospel Fest concert and several other presentations.
The public is invited to all events. Admission is free to all events.
The week's events will begin with an opening prayer and devotion on Monday, Jan. 16, at 10 a.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. A service will follow immediately at the chapel, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and featuring speaker Carolyn Quinn, who is an evangelist with Messiah Missionary Baptist Church of Grand Rapids.
The luncheon on Monday, Jan. 16, will begin at 11:15 a.m. in the main ballroom of the Haworth Inn and Conference Center. The featured speaker will be Wayne Coleman, who is executive director of Core City, CCDA of Holland, and during the event the City of Holland will also present its annual Social Justice Awards to community members. The luncheon is co-sponsored by Herman Miller Inc., the City of Holland, Core City CCDA and the college's Office of Multicultural Life. Advance registration by Wednesday, Jan. 11, is required. Additional information about attending may be obtained by calling the college's Office of Multicultural Life at (616) 395-7867.
A unity march will take place on Monday, Jan. 16, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center and will continue to six locations around campus.
The commemorative service on Monday, Jan. 16, will be held at 6 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Walter Brame, who is president and chief executive officer of the Grand Rapids Urban League.
Dr. Mary Inman, associate professor of psychology, will present "What Can I Do? -- Creating Harmony" on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m. in the Maas Center conference room.
The college's Chapel service on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 10:30 a.m. will feature speakers Connie Boersma, Ruby Sueing and Roxanne Fiddler on the theme "They Still Have a Dream." The service will be held in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
A Brown Bag Luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at noon in room 110 of the Martha Miller Center for Global Communication will feature discussion of Affirmative Action, coordinated by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
A panel discussion focused on diversity in the work place will take place on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 5 p.m. in the Fried-Hemenway Auditorium of the Martha Miller Center for Global Communication. A career networking reception will follow at 6:15 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m. in the center's rotunda.
The college's Chapel service on Friday, Jan. 20, at 10:30 a.m. will feature the Rev. Trygve Johnson, who is the Hinga-Boersma Dean of the Chapel at Hope, and will be held in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
An "IDentity Jam" talent event on Friday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m. has been scheduled as an artistic, creative performance opportunity for Hope students, faculty and staff, and members of the Holland community, and will be held in the Kletz of the DeWitt Center. Those wishing to enter should pre-register by Tuesday, Jan. 17, by calling the college's Office of Student Development at (616) 395-7800. Free coffee will be provided by Lemonjello's Coffee during the event.
The week's activities will close with a Gospel Fest concert on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The concert will feature the Hope College Gospel Choir, various college and university choirs, and a local church choir and praise dance team.
Dr. Walter Brame has been president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Urban League for 17 years. He began his Urban League career in 1973 at the Detroit Urban League as a welfare specialist, and was promoted to the position of director of the Department of Intergroup Community Services before coming to Grand Rapids. He has also served as president of the (San Francisco) Bay Area Urban League and as president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League, and was a teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools.
He has been a visiting professor in African American Studies at Grand Valley State University and an adjunct instructor for graduate studies in educational leadership at Western Michigan University, and currently teaches Criminology and Social Problems at Grand Rapids Community College. He serves as regional vice president of the Association of Executives of the National Urban League and is president-elect of the Grand Rapids Rotary.
Brame's experience includes more than 30 years in non-profit management. In addition to his organizational leadership role, he has served in several governance roles in a number of non-profit and governmental organizations, including LISC, Kent Area Micro Loan Program, St. Mary's Hospital, Project Rehab, Kent County Defenders Office, Grand Rapids Area Transportation Authority, NAACP, Cherry Street Health Services and the Board of Trustees of Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee.
In addition to his work in management, he is a lecturer on the African and African American experience. He served as an associate minister at Third Baptist Church in San Francisco, Calif., and at Calvary Baptist Church in Milwaukee, where he was also outreach minister. Currently, he is associate pastor at Brown-Hutcherson Ministries, where he heads the church Sunday school program.
Brame is listed in Who's Who in Black America. He is a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He is a Prince Hall Mason and is a Past Master of True Square Lodge #11. In 1993, he was elevated to the 33rd and last degree. Currently he serves as Grand Prior for the Michigan Council of Deliberation, Chaplain for the Commanders of the Rite and of North Star Lodge #5. He is a Chief Raban of El Karnek Temple No. 86. He is married to the former Brenda Redd, and they have six adult children and six grandchildren.
He graduated from North Carolina College at Durham (currently North Carolina Central University) with a BA in political science and history. He earned a Master's degree in educational sociology from Wayne State University in Detroit, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Western Michigan University in 1989. He has done post-doctoral work in special education at Cardinal Stritch University.
The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street. Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located on College Avenue at 12th Street. The Haworth Inn and Conference Center is located facing College Avenue between Ninth and 10th streets. The Martha Miller Center for Global Communication is located on Columbia Avenue at 10th Street.