Rev. Gerald Slack, pastor and superintendent of Olean’s Sacred Temple Church of God in Christ, will be the featured speaker at St. Bonaventure University’s celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Free and open to the public, the event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, in the Rigas Theater of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts; masks are required.

A native of New Orleans who’s lived in Olean for 50 years, Rev. Slack will talk about his experiences growing up as a young Black man in the segregated South in the 1950s and ’60s and why Dr. King’s words remain powerful almost 60 years later.

“The thing some people fail to realize is that Dr. King wasn’t just advocating for Black people,” Rev. Slack said. “He wanted equality for everyone, for the poor and the downtrodden no matter their color.”

The celebration will include presentations by students Tenaya Ramadhan and Marisol Woods Jones, songs from Ramadhan and the SBU Choirs (featuring Malaunah Jones), and remarks from Dr. Joseph Zimmer, acting St. Bonaventure president.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.