Jackson Free Press

Mississippi State University will honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy as a minister, humanitarian and civil-rights activist during the school's 25th annual Unity Breakfast and Day of Service on Monday, Jan. 21.

Marcus L. Thompson, deputy commissioner and chief administrative officer for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, will be the keynote speaker. He is the pastor of Mountain Ridge United Methodist Church in Brandon, and previously served as chief of staff and assistant to the state superintendent of education at the Mississippi Department of Education.

After the program, MSU's Maroon Volunteer Center will lead a "Day of Service" for volunteers at sites around Starkville. Locations include Camp Seminole, McKee Park, Ms. Smith's Educational Services, Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum, Palmer Home Thrift Store, The Salvation Army, Sally Kate Winters Family Services, Oktibbeha County Fire Station and Starkville Community Theatre. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, visit mlkdaystarkville.com.

The doors for the Unity Breakfast will open at 7:30 a.m., and the breakfast will begin at 8 a.m. The main program will be at 9 a.m. at The Mill at MSU (600 Russell St., Starkville). Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserved tables are available through sponsorship.

For more information, call Tyrel Jernigan, coordinator of diversity initiatives for MSU's Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, at 662-325-2493 or email [email protected].

USM AIM Awards Accepting Nominations

The Arts Institute of Mississippi at The University of Southern Mississippi recently announced that it is accepting nominations for its second annual AIM Awards, which recognize high-school-level arts teachers, schools and organizations for achievements in arts education in Mississippi.

Winners of the 2018 AIM Awards included Angela Heise, an art teacher and fine arts department chair at St. Martin High School in Ocean Springs; Pierrdro Gallion, director of choral activities at Murrah High School; Jorge Gonzalez, strings program supervisor for the Hattiesburg Public School District; and Carrie Culpepper Brown, a dance teacher in the McComb School District.

Anyone can nominate teachers and directors, schools or organizations for the awards. Individuals and organizations can also nominate themselves. Eligible nominees include those involved who have made significant contributions to students, schools or their community through work in areas such as creative writing, dance, media, music, theater and visual arts.

Nominations must be in by Feb. 15. Judges will make evaluations and notify award recipients by March 15. For more information or to submit nominations, visit usm.edu/arts/aim-awards.

Tougaloo Launching Sesquicentennial Campaign for Scholarships

As part of Tougaloo College's yearlong celebration of its 150th anniversary, the school recently announced the launch of its Sesquicentennial Campaign for Scholarships, which will seek to raise $10 million over the next two years.

Tougaloo's anniversary celebration began on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, and will conclude during the 150th Founders' Celebration in October 2019. As part of the celebration's efforts to raise money for scholarships, Tougaloo is allowing alumni and their friends to purchase individual bricks that will make up the Sesquicentennial Walkway of Freedom, which connects the Robert O. Wilder Building, also known as The Mansion, with the historic Woodworth Chapel on Tougaloo's campus. The bricks will feature a special logo Tougaloo designed for the 150th anniversary.

The HBCU will formally launch the Sesquicentennial Campaign for Scholarships during its 31st annual business luncheon on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Hilton Jackson Hotel (1001 E. County Line Road). For more information, visit tougaloo.edu.