Hawks United, Northeast's new diversity and inclusion student group, is partnering with Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning's Diversity Council to present the inaugural “MLK Day Breakfast." The event, which is open to the public, will be held on Monday, January 15, from 7-8:30 a.m., in the Lifelong Learning Center on the Northeast campus in Norfolk. Doors will open at 6:30 a.m., with breakfast served beginning at 7 a.m. Seating is limited and RSVP’s are required.
Vickie Young, president of the NAACP in Omaha, will be the featured speaker. She is in her third term as the group’s president. The Omaha branch of the NAACP was established in 1914. Members of the group address voter rights and educate youth on civil rights history.
Hawks United Co-Chairs Donna Neeman, director of the TRIO program, and Billy Coby, residence life coordinator at Northeast, urge everyone to attend the breakfast.
“The MLK Breakfast is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the diversity and inclusiveness of our community,” Coby said.
“We are putting ownership of creating the type of environment we want to live in, in the students’ hands,” Neeman said. “This breakfast is just the start of connecting the college and the community in a way that reinforces the focus on inclusion and diversity! What better way to accomplish that than with a warm breakfast while celebrating the legacy of Dr. King.”
Meanwhile, the deadline for an essay contest based on one of Dr. King’s famous quotes is fast approaching. Hawks United has partnered with the Northeast Foundation Office to provide all high school seniors in Madison, Pierce, and Stanton counties with the opportunity to write and submit a 500-750-word essay on the meaning of the quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The winner will receive a $500 scholarship to Northeast Community College upon enrollment to the institution.
Essays will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10. They may be sent to Neeman at donnan@northeast.edu. A scholarship committee made up of English instructors and Northeast students will announce the winner on Friday, January 12. The scholarship winner will be asked to attend the MLK Breakfast.
RSVP’s may be sent to Candace Bossard at the City of Norfolk at cbossard@ci.norfolk.ne.us. For additional information on the event, contact Neeman at (402) 844-7736 or Coby at (402) 844-7146.
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