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Community anticipates King's son
By Ashwinn Ramen
 Martin Luther King III
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The University Programming Board (UPB) National Events Committee will proudly present a great humanitarian of the age, Martin Luther King III, to SCSU and the city of St. Cloud Tuesday night.
King's most popular message to date has been "The Dream, Deferred" -- that will also be the topic of his talk at SCSU.
This is the first time King will be at SCSU. Amanda Hallfrisch, UPB National Events Committee coordinator, said that the decision to bring a personality such as King was largely based on the relevancy of his messages.
"He will be speaking about issues on civil rights and equality as well as applying his father's dream in today's society," Hallfrisch said.
The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Atwood Ballroom and Hallfrisch is expecting an attendance of around 1000 people composed of students, faculty and the general public. Admission is free with an SCSU ID while admission for the public is $5.
The tickets for the event went on sale the week before the winter break and the response, according to Hallfrisch, has been amazing.
King, the eldest son of the late Martin Luther King Jr., has been actively involved in policies that promote and maintain equality for citizens both home and abroad as early as the 1970s. He was even selected to represent President Jimmy Carter in official foreign delegations to promote peace.
During the 1980s, he began a program called "Africa Initiative" to end starvation in Africa. Much attention during that time was also focused on the plight of the South Africans and Nelson Mandela's freedom.
In the 1990s, he was voted the fourth president of the Southern Christian Leadership Organization, which was co- founded by his father in 1957.
King's general message has been the application of his father's principles for a positive future. He is also very committed to the struggle for human rights and nonviolence in societies.
This event is co-sponsored by Black History Month sponsors, Multicultural Student Services and the Council of African American students.
Julie Cartwright, Office Manager for Multicultural Student Services, said it is important to have someone like King speak to the campus community.
"I think he has a lot to say and revisit what his father began and what is left to be done by us," Cartwright said.
Students agree.
"Martin Luther King III has quite a legacy to compete with," said Chad Sivertson, a senior philosophy major.
Sivertson also says that he agrees with many of King's views as well as King's view that James Earl Ray isn't his father's true assassin.
Hear King speak Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7:30p.m. in the Atwood Ballroom. Tickets are still available.
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