Officials from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the city of Boulder will gather on campus on Wednesday, Jan. 16, for an annual torch-passing ceremony to mark the state celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The ceremony is scheduled to take place at noon on the terrace of the University Memorial Center, or UMC, located at the corner of Broadway and Euclid Avenue. The torch's arrival will mark the start of Boulder's annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, said Debra Frazier of the CU-Boulder Center for Multicultural Affairs.
The torch, which is traveling from city to city, "symbolizes one people and connects all Coloradans with Dr. King's vision," Frazier said.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission is leading the torch-passing effort in observance of the national holiday on Jan. 21. Receiving the torch on the university's behalf will be CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson, Provost Phil DiStefano, Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Ric Porreca, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Ron Stump, Vice Chancellor for Diversity Sallye McKee and CU-Boulder attorney Christine Arguello.
Also in attendance at the ceremony will be Boulder City Manager Frank Bruno, Boulder Councilwoman Angelique Espinoza and city Human Relations Chairman Ray Stewart.
The torch began its journey at the state Capitol in Denver and will travel throughout the state in the care of runners, walkers, cyclists and motorists. It will cover approximately 1,000 miles before arriving back in Denver for a special ceremony on Monday, Jan. 21, during the city's annual parade, better known as the MLK Marade, one of the largest in the country.
Boulder's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will take place Monday, Jan. 21, through Thursday, Jan. 24, and is expected to be "bigger and more inclusive than ever," city organizers said.
CU-Boulder's annual symposium to mark the holiday will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 22, and Wednesday, Jan. 23. All events are free and open to the public. Rev. Dr. Jules E. Smith, pastor of Denver's influential and growing Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church, will give the keynote address at 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 in the Aspen Room at the UMC.
The symposium will feature theater and music performances, storytelling and lectures, including one that will examine racial stereotyping and media coverage of Hurricane Katrina, another that assesses the impact of HIV and AIDS on African-American women and a discussion about "La Raza de Colorado-El Movimiento," or the Chicano movement of the 1960s and '70s.
A complete schedule of events being held as part of the area's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is posted at and .