WP Honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This Friday, Jan. 27, with Conference on Culturally Relevant Education and Service Activities to Benefit Community Organizations


In honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – whose holiday was celebrated while the University was on winter break – the William Paterson campus community is invited to attend a conference and participate in on-campus service activities that will benefit community organizations in the City of Paterson.

The day’s conference will kick off with a breakfast at 9 a.m., in the University Ballrooms (second floor of University Commons).

The keynote address will take place from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., in the same space, featuring Jeffrey Dessources, director of the Center for Leadership and Engagement at New Jersey City University and co-founder of Trill or Not Trill, an educational/consulting firm that integrates culturally relevant content into curriculum, student development and leadership. The address will be presented both in-person and via Zoom. (Click here to join on Zoom.)

Following the keynote address, at 11 a.m., WP professors Mark Ellis (sociology, criminal justice, and social work) and Djanna Hill (community and social justice studies) will lead a panel discussion.

At 12 p.m., various community service activities for students, faculty, and staff will take place on site. Participants will be charged with creating the following: school supply kits for kindergarteners at Paterson School No. 9, hygiene and menstruation kits for OASIS: A Haven for Women and Children, hygiene packages for homeless veterans via Passaic County Catholic Charities Veterans’ Support, and food packages for the homeless via Paterson Cares. 

01/26/23