CORRECTION: CALENDAR ITEM: MU to Receive Replica of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

January 25th, 2012

By Brad Fischer

WHAT: In October 2011, President Barack Obama dedicated the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Now, a University of Missouri alumnus who played a key role in organizing the memorial will present MU with a smaller replica of the sculpture.

Ty Christian, a 1977 graduate of MU, served as chief marketing strategist on the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. Under Christian’s marketing leadership, the Foundation raised $115 million. Christian has received numerous awards for his achievements in advertising and public relations. In 2004, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the MU College of Arts and Science.

The ceremony will take place as part of the “MU Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. 2012” event. Larry Wilmore, correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, will serve as keynote speaker. Wilmore has written, produced and acted in several television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Bernie Mac Show and The Office. He has received numerous awards including an NAACP Image Award and an Emmy. Wilmore is the author of I’d Rather We Got Casinos and Other Black Thoughts, published in 2008.

Also at the ceremony, MU will present the University of Missouri Martin Luther King, Jr. Award to an individual or organization in Boone County in recognition of extraordinary leadership and inspiration in furthering the goal of achieving greater cultural and ethnic diversity in the community.

WHO: Speakers include:

• Ty Christian, chief marketing strategist, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation
• Larry Wilmore, correspondent, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

WHERE: Missouri Theatre

203 S. Ninth St., Columbia, Mo.

WHEN: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25

NOTE: This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://diversity.missouri.edu/mlk/.