Gateway Observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Plans Feb. 27 College Fair For African American Community

Gateway Community & Technical College will participate in this weekends Convene the Dream activities to honor the memory of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The college will follow up with a Super Sunday college fair on February 27 during Black History Month.

Super Sunday is part of a statewide initiative conducted by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System to increase the college-going rate of African American students. All 16 KCTCS colleges will partner with African American churches throughout the state to reach out to parents and students to promote higher education.

This weekend, Gateway will participate in a host of Convene the Dream activities. On Saturday, Gateway will take part in a ministerial breakfast from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Our Savior Church, 246 East Tenth Street, Covington. The free public event features a discussion of the work of Martin Luther King Jr.

On Sunday, Gateway representatives will attend an interfaith prayer service at 7:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica, 12 Martin Luther King Blvd. and Madison Avenue. On Monday, Jan. 17, the college will take part in a luncheon hosted by the NAACP at the Newport Syndicate at 18 East Fifth Street, Newport. Ed Bullock, vice president of diversity for LOreal USA, will be the keynote speaker. The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $35 per person.

At 3 p.m. Monday, Gateway will partner with Grace of God Ministries to host the annual Martin Luther King Celebration with the City of Florence. Bishop Nerrick J. Jackson will be the guest speaker. The event will be at the Florence Government Center 8100 Ewing Boulevard in Florence.

The colleges observation culminates with participation in the Grand March beginning at 5 p.m. at 12 Martin Luther King Blvd. and concluding with the annual community program at 6 p.m. at Carnegie Visual amp; Performing Arts Center in Covington. Keynote speaker will be Dr. William H. Turner, distinguished professor of Appalachian Studies and regional ambassador for Berea College.

Gateway will continue its outreach to the African American community with a Super Sunday college fair at its Urban Center, 525 Scott Boulevard, Covington, at 3 p.m. on Feb. 27. Grace of God Ministries will co-sponsor the event, which is being held at the Urban Center to accommodate as many participants as possible.

This event is a special invitation for anyone who wants to learn more about Gateway and how we can help you prepare to get a good job, said Gateway President/CEO Ed Hughes. This is a perfect opportunity for residents of the urban core to come to the Urban Center, enjoy some refreshments and find out about how to plan for college, admissions, degree programs, financial aid and more. We are so pleased to be able to partner with Grace of God Ministries and other local congregations in this important outreach.

Gateway and KCTCS share a goal to ensure the states diverse populations receive every opportunity to obtain a college education. The Super Sunday event is modeled after a highly successful program that California State University has hosted every year since 2005.

This is the first year KCTCS and Gateway are sponsoring a Super Sunday event, but it will become an annual occurrence and will later focus on other diverse populations. Super Sunday events are open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend.


For more information go to http://kctcs.edu/ or contact Theresa Little at (859) 442-1154.