60th Anniversary of MLK in Montclair - 'King in the Wilderness' Screening and Discussion

Description

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, visited Montclair High School on Sept. 11, 1966 to speak at the retirement of Rev. D.C. Rice, pastor of Union Baptist Church and an early mentor. A planned ceremony at Montclair High school was met with community uproar, leading to two separate King speeches on school grounds.

We will recognize the 60th anniversary of this event with a documentary screening of "King in the Wilderness"(2018) followed by a discussion and Q&A moderated by Dr. Leslie Wilson of Montclair State University.

"King in the Wilderness" offers a window into the final years of the civil rights icon's life after the signing of the Voting Right Acts of 1965 and amid an American landscape divided by the Vietnam War and tensions over race and poverty. King's unwavering commitment to nonviolence and compassion shines through in archived footage and the stories of those who were around him.

Facilitator

Dr. Leslie Wilson is the professor of history at Montclair State University, Assistant Dean at Montclair State, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Co-Director the Agenda for Education in a Democracy. Dr. Wilson holds a doctorate in American History from the City University of New York and has published extensively and speaks often on topics related to black history and civil rights.