‘MLK in My Living Room’ is topic at forum

Jonathan King to speaking “MLK in My Living Room: How a Southern Civil Rights Movement Changed the World,” Thursday, Sept. 25

Jonathan King, formerly of CMC, will speak at the Collegiate Peaks Forum Series on Sept. 25. Contributed photo.
Jonathan King, formerly of CMC, will speak at the Collegiate Peaks Forum Series on Sept. 25. Contributed photo.

This article first appeared in the Herald Democrat.

Collegiate Peaks Forum Series, a free lecture series in its 11th year, presents Jonathan King speaking on, “MLK in My Living Room: How a Southern Civil Rights Movement Changed the World,” on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Buena Vista.

King, former interim vice president of Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, will tell personal accounts, using historical video and audio, and give an explanation of the history leading up to and after the 1960s Civil Rights movement in his presentation.

“MLK in My Living Room” is a depiction of significant events that preceded the civil rights struggle in Albany, Ga., and focuses on how a small group of activist leaders were able to work collaboratively to overturn a segregation system that had been in effect since the Reconstruction Era. As a young boy, Jonathan King saw political action in the privacy of his own living room.

King, no relation to Martin Luther King Jr., recalls the “atmosphere of fear” in which he and his family lived when he was a child in Albany. Water fountains and restrooms were clearly designated as “colored” and “white.” Going to the wrong places in town could be dangerous, or at the very least invite public humiliation, he said.

King said following the success of the desegregation movement in places like Montgomery, Ala., he and his parents called for help from Martin Luther King Jr., and joined with other local residents to begin talks that would lead to the Albany Movement. The Albany Movement led to the desegregation of Albany’s public schools, and King was the first of six black children allowed into a public elementary school.

King holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Texas; a Master of Arts in educational leadership from Harvard University; an Master of Science from the International University of Japan; and a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Morehouse College.

Prior to serving as interim vice president and campus dean of academic affairs for Colorado Mountain College in Lake and Chaffee counties, King served for five years as dean of business and applied technology at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Calif.

For information on the Collegiate Peaks Forum Series and the 2014 season, visit collegiatepeaksforum.org.