91����app will celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. with events including a keynote speaker, an educational trip to Atlanta and participation in both the Savannah and Statesboro MLK parades. 

“Recognizing that we all have a role to play in the realization of Dr. King’s dream, this year’s celebration theme is ‘do small things in a great way,’” said Dominique A. Quarles, Ph.D., associate vice president for Inclusive Excellence and chief diversity officer. “Throughout the celebration, we will be speaking to the impact of using one’s sphere of influence to transform their community.”

Atlanta Metropolitan State College President , will return to Georgia Southern as the special guest speaker for the University’s 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Day on Jan. 13.

Lewis, who formerly served as vice president for student affairs at Georgia Southern and Armstrong State University, will speak to students, faculty and staff on the University’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah and Statesboro Campus. A breakfast will take place at 8:30 a.m. in the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center ballroom in Statesboro followed by a lunch at 12:30 p.m. in the Armstrong Center Ballroom in Savannah. 

“I am excited to come back to a place that has been so meaningful to me personally and professionally,” said Lewis. “Furthermore, I am more than honored to have a part in celebrating one of our greatest Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

Lewis has nearly 30 years of experience in higher education and his career has centered around the development of educational partnerships, student advocacy and the development and implementation of programs that promote professional development.

He moved to Georgia in 2002 to lead student diversity programming efforts at Georgia Southern and went on to serve as the institution’s dean of students. Lewis has served in leadership and cabinet-level positions since 2012. In May of 2019, Lewis was tapped to serve as interim president and, in November of 2019, was officially named the fourth president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College. His early higher education experience included admissions and multicultural affairs roles at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Lewis has received several awards, and most recently was recognized as a 2021 Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). He is also a recipient of the Paragon Award for New Presidents by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. 

He has recently collaborated on a book chapter in the “Handbook of Research on Black Males.” 

Lewis is active in the Metro Atlanta community as a member of the board of directors of the ATL Airport Chamber, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency. He also serves as a subcommittee member of the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, Inc., and a Metro Atlanta Industry Partnerships Partner. 

In addition to the events with Lewis, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement will host 91����app in Action: MLK’s Legacy Weekend by providing a day trip to Atlanta on Jan. 14. While in Atlanta, participants will learn, engage and explore the connections between service and social justice through visits to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. 

On Jan. 16, the Georgia Southern community will participate in both the Savannah MLK parade at 10 a.m., hosted by the MLK Observance Day Association, and the Statesboro MLK parade at 2 p.m., hosted by the Bulloch County NAACP Branch. 

are available to students, faculty and staff for the MLK Celebration breakfast and lunch speaker presentations. Additionally, a limited number of parade participants are allowed to walk in each location. Please contact the Office of Inclusive Excellence at oie@georgiasouthern.edu for more information or accommodation requests.

91����app’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will host the 3rd annual Gullah Geechee Celebration Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Williams Center multipurpose room on the Statesboro Campus.

The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of African slaves on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast, including Georgia. The celebration will highlight Gullah Geechee people’s unique, African-influenced culture. Their distinctive arts, crafts, foodways, music and language formed due to their isolation on island and coastal plantations.

For more information, email Paris Lawrence, coordinator of diversity education and program outreach, at plawrence@georgiasouthern.edu.

91����app’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will host the 3rd annual Gullah Geechee Celebration Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Williams Center multipurpose room on the Statesboro Campus.

The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of African slaves on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast, including Georgia. The celebration will highlight Gullah Geechee people’s unique, African-influenced culture. Their distinctive arts, crafts, foodways, music and language formed due to their isolation on island and coastal plantations.

For more information, email Paris Lawrence, coordinator of diversity education and program outreach, at plawrence@georgiasouthern.edu.

Georgia Southern’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, Know Your Worth and the African Student Association will host a Gullah Geechee Heritage Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 1, on the Statesboro Campus in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a brief reception. The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Central and West Africans who came from different ethnic and social groups. They were enslaved together on the isolated sea and barrier islands that span what is now designated as the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor — a stretch of the U.S. coastline. It extends from Pender County, North Carolina, to St. John’s County, Florida, for 30 miles inland. The result of Gullah Geechee people began as an intense interaction among Africans from different language groups in settings where enslaved Africans and their descendants formed the majority. Over time, they developed the Creole Gullah Geechee language as a means of communicating with each other, and they were also able to preserve many African practices in their language, arts, crafts and cuisine. The celebration on Nov. 1 will feature a West African inspired dance, historical presentations, and demonstrations by The African Spirit of Day Clean Journeys, Queen Quet and the Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation. For more information contact Maurice Nelson in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at oma@georgiasouthern.edu or 912-478-5409. 91����app, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit.

91����app’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is pleased to announce the schedule for the 2018 Latino Heritage Month Celebration, featuring a series of lectures, performances and more. Latino Heritage Month is from Sept. 15 to Oct.15 and celebrates the history, culture and contributions of the Latino community. Most events will take place on the Statesboro, Armstrong and Liberty campuses and are free and open to the public. Highlighted events include: Heritage Display Contest Statesboro Campus: Russell Union Commons Sept. 10-Oct. 3 Students are invited to submit an original tri-fold poster to the OMA within the contest period. Each poster must include information about a Hispanic country’s people, geography, location, economy, music and food. The contest is limited to 15 participants who will be provided with tri-fold poster boards, glue sticks, border, coloring utensils and board paper (upon availability). A panel of three judges will rank the entries based on content, creativity and design, with the three highest-scoring posters taking home cash prizes. Winners will be announced during on Oct. 3. For information on submission deadlines and contest rules, visit . Tuesday, Sept. 18, 5-8 p.m. Flag Parade Statesboro Campus: Russell Union Rotunda In partnership with the Association of Latin American Students, the parade of flags from Hispanic/Latin countries will be carried by participants beginning at Lakeside Dining Commons  through the Pedestrium to the Russell Union Rotunda. A mini festival including presentations, Independence Day acknowledgements, music, dancing and food will take place at the Rotunda following the parade. Thursday, Sept. 20, 6 p.m. Presentation: Frida Kahlo and the Never-Ending Torments of a Mexican Icon in the 21st Century Armstrong Campus: Ogeechee Theatre Guest speaker Oswaldo Estrada, UNC-Chapel Hill Professor of Latin American Literature, will trace several literary and cultural representations of Frida Kahlo produced in the midst of neoliberalism, gender debates and the widespread commodification of cultural memory in his presentation. Focusing on contemporary literature, corridos, or narratives told in song, and films, the critic interrogates how and why some writers recreate hybrid narratives that fuse history, memory and fiction. In doing so, he reveals the innovative and sometimes troublesome ways in which authors can challenge or perpetuate gendered conventions of writing women’s lives. Friday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. Film Showing: “Spider Thieves/Niñas Arañas” Armstrong Campus: Compass Point Clubhouse Lawn *Rain location: Ogeechee Theatre Inspired by actual events, this teenage thriller is a unique social commentary on dreams, class and unfulfilled expectations in contemporary Chile. Three teenage girls from a Santiago shanty town set in motion a plan to climb buildings and plunder expensive apartments. All they want is to have all the cool and trendy stuff they see advertised in TV commercials and department stores. Word spreads and soon enough they became the notorious “spider thieves.” This event is presented by the Gracia Roldán Spanish Film Club Festival and sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages-Spanish, Residence Life, International Student Organization and OMA. Shown in Spanish with English subtitles. Wednesday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Passport to Latin America Liberty Campus Step into the world of three Latin American countries with food, music, games and much more. Join OMA on the Liberty Campus for an afternoon of cultural explosion. Thursday, Sept. 27, 12-2 p.m. Fiesta Day Armstrong Campus: Student Union Ballroom Continue celebrating Latino Heritage Month with OMA and Hispanic Outreach & Leadership at Armstrong for their annual Fiesta Day. Enjoy authentic Latin American food, music and performances. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Statesboro) Thursday, Oct. 11, 12-1:30 p.m. (Armstrong) Presentation: Achieving the Dream: A Conversation on Latinx Student Success Statesboro Campus: Russell Union Ballroom Armstrong Campus: Ogeechee Theater Join José Cabrales, Ph.D., program director of student success at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, for a series of workshops on Latinx student success inside and outside the classroom. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend to partake in important conversations regarding identity, resources and engagement methods for Latinx students. Thursday, Oct. 11, 7-9 p.m. Latino Heritage Celebration Awards Dinner Armstrong Campus: Student Union Ballroom The Armstrong Campus will celebrate students, faculty, staff and community leaders who have contributed to advancing the Latino student population at Georgia Southern. This evening will feature guest speaker José Cabrales, Ph.D., program director of student success for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. For more information on the 2018 Latino Heritage Month Celebration, visit .