Campus ceremonies to commemorate life of King

Bishop Arthur Brazier, pastor of the Woodlawn community's nearly 12,000-member Apostolic Church of God, will be the keynote speaker at the University's annual service, to be held at noon Monday, Jan. 15, in Rockefeller Chapel.

A capacity crowd is expected for the event; additional seating will be available in Max Palevsky Cinema in Ida Noyes Hall, where the ceremony will be broadcast on closed-circuit television. The event will feature speakers and performers representing the diversity of the University and its surrounding community, including soloist Elizabeth Norman from the Apostolic Church of God, UC Dancers, the Christian a cappella group MaJ'N, and the Motet Choir, directed by Scott Lehmkuhl. George Scott, assistant pastor at United Church of Hyde Park and a student at Chicago Theological Seminary, will read and reflect on King's work. Alison Boden, Dean of Rockefeller Chapel, will deliver the invocation.

An executive of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Brazier has been bishop since 1976. He is the diocesan of the sixth Episcopal district, which includes more than 70 churches. Committed to improving the quality of life for minorities, Brazier was the founding president of the Woodlawn Organization. He has also served as vice president for the Center for Community Change, an organization based in Washington, D.C. He currently is chairman of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation and of the Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization. He also serves on the Chicago Building Commission.

Brazier is the author of numerous articles and two books, Black Self-determination and Saved by Grace and Grace Alone. He has lectured at colleges and universities across the country, including Chicago, Harvard and Northwestern.

The commemoration, sponsored by the Coordinating Council for Minority Issues and Rockefeller Chapel, is free and open to the public. For more information, call Kathy Stell, 702-0161.

The Hospitals will recognize King's birthday with the presentation of the 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award. The ceremony will also be held at noon Monday, Jan. 15, in Room P-117 at the Medical Center. The award is presented to the Hospitals or Biological Sciences Division employee who best exemplifies King's commitment to fellowship, peace and justice.

The keynote speaker at the award ceremony will be Clifton Davis, actor, composer, producer, lecturer and minister. Davis is probably best known for his role as the Rev. Reuben Gregory on the NBC television series "Amen." For more information about the ceremony, call Pat Adams Childs at 702-3469.