Economist and commentator Julianne Malveaux, known for her provocative observations on race, culture, gender and the economy, will give the keynote speech at UC Irvine’s 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium. The three-day event includes special workshops, a march and rally, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the UCI Cross-Cultural Center’s expansion.

Malveaux’s talk, “What’s Next: Realizing the Dream,” will begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Crystal Cove Auditorium in the UCI Student Center.

“We’re excited this year to have Dr. Malveaux’s insightful and progressive perspective as part of the symposium,” said Anna Gonzalez, director of the Cross-Cultural Center. “We encourage students and the community to participate in this celebration of Dr. King’s legacy, and the beginning of this new stage for the Cross-Cultural Center, which has been an essential part of the student experience for more than thirty years.”

Malveaux is a syndicated columnist whose work appears regularly in USA Today, Ms. Magazine, Essence and The Progressive, and she appears frequently as a commentator on national television network programs and radio shows. Malveaux recently co-authored Unfinished Business: A Democrat and a Republican Take on the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face, and she is the editor of Voices of Vision: African American Women on the Issues and co-editor of The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism. In addition, she has taught economics, public policy and African American studies at UC Berkeley.

Another portion of the symposium features a special ceremony celebrating the groundbreaking of the Cross-Cultural Center’s expansion, which will more than double the size of the center, providing a larger multipurpose room, more offices, additional study space and a new meeting room. The expansion is part of the Student Center renovation intended to meet the needs of UCI’s growing student population.

The symposium is sponsored by the Cross-Cultural Center and Malveaux’s talk is co-sponsored by the Gender Education Series. All events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited. For additional information, contact (949) 824-2002 or www.ccc.uci.edu.

Schedule of Events

Tuesday, Jan. 17
2:30-4 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center Conference Room – “Marching for Justice,” panel discussion with Stephanie Chang, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center program coordinator; Lakeisha Gilford, Campus Village Housing resident life coordinator; Dennis Lopez, graduate student in English; and Maria Malagon, UCLA graduate student in education.

Wednesday, Jan. 18
Noon-1:30 p.m., Cross-Cultural Center Conference Room –
“E(Race)ing the Prison Industrial Complex” with Dylan Rodriguez, assistant professor of ethnic studies at UC Riverside, and Theresa Cusimano, staff member at the Southern California Library.

Thursday, Jan. 19
11:30 a.m., Ring Mall – Martin Luther King Jr. March. The march will begin at the Humanities Trailer and end at the Cross-Cultural Center.
Noon, Cross-Cultural Center – Groundbreaking celebration for the center’s expansion, which is part of the Student Center renovation.
7-9 p.m., Crystal Cove Auditorium, Student Center –
“What’s Next: Realizing the Dream,” keynote address by Julianne Malveaux.

About the UCI Cross-Cultural Center: The UCI Cross-Cultural Center is the oldest center of its kind in the UC system. The center’s mission is to provide a network of services that support the personal, social, cultural and academic well-being of UCI’s ethnically and culturally diverse students, faculty and staff. The center offers educational programs that advance learning and discovery about the various cultures that compose the UCI community.

About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

Television: UCI has a broadcast studio available for live or taped interviews. For more information, visit http://today.uci.edu/broadcast.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. The use of this line is available free-of-charge to radio news programs/stations who wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of ISDN line limited by availability and approval by the university.

Christine Byrd
(949) 824-9055
cbyrd@uci.edu