Highline Community College is bringing controversial 1960s activist Bill Ayers to its Des Moines campus as part of the college’s 19th annual commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Ayers will be speak Thursday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. in the Highline Student Union Building (Building 8) in the Mt. Constance and Mt. Olympus rooms. His topic is “Education for Democracy: School Reform and the Legacy of Martin Luther King.” His talk will be followed by a question and answer session at noon.
Ayers is a retired professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He formerly held the titles of Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar.
But it was his activism in the 1960s and 1970s that made him an issue in the 2008 Presidential campaign.
Some charged that candidate Barack Obama had been too close to Ayers, a fellow Chicago resident.
In 1969, Ayers co-founded the Weather Underground, a self-identified radical group opposed to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The group was tied to the bombing of public buildings during the 1960s and 1970s.
Ayers is married to Bernardine Dohrn, another former Weather group leader.
Natasha Burrowes, Highline’s assistant director of student programs and diversity, said the committee that invited Ayers was interested in his work on education and education reform.
His lecture will focus on new education approaches such as small schools and how to engage the community in education, according to Burrowes.
She noted she has not received any negative responses to Ayers’ pending appearance.
Highline’s commemoration will kick off with speech by Dr. Jared Ball, assistant professor of Communications Studies at Morgan State University, entitled “Radical Politics of MLK.”
Also speaking will be former Washington state Rep. Velma Veloria, the first Filipina elected to a state legislature in the continental U.S.
Now in its 19th year, Highline's Martin Luther King Jr. Week is one of the college's biggest events and features authors, scholars and activists discussing a variety of topics, including diversity, politics, social justice, equity and the legacy of Dr. King, according to Highline officials.
Events will run Jan. 18-21 at various times. All are free and open to the public. They will be held at Highline’s main campus, located at 2400 S. 240th Street in Des Moines.
Highline’s Center for Leadership & Service and Multicultural Services and Learning & Teaching center are sponsoring the events.
More information is available at www.highline.edu/stuserv/programs/mlkweek.htm
The college provided the following schedule and descriptions of events:

Tuesday, Jan. 18
Radical Politics of MLK
9-9:50 a.m., Building 7
Dr. Jared Ball, assistant professor of Communications Studies at Morgan State University and journalist in Washington, D.C., explores the radical politics of Dr. King and why he was considered such a controversial figure during his time.

'Boondocks' and Social Justice
Lecture 10-10:50 a.m., Q&A 11-11:30 a.m., Building 7
Dr. Jared Ball and Dr. Mark Bolden discuss how "The Boondocks," the award-winning comic strip turned animation series, uses comedy, satire and art to explore issues of social justice and equity.

Wednesday, Jan. 19
Empowering Ourselves for Positive Change
9-9:50 a.m., Building 7
Velma Veloria, the first Filipina elected to state legislature in the U.S. and served in the Washington State Legislature from 1992-2004, shares her perspective on how individuals can be solutions to such large systematic problems of inequality.

America: A Culture of Fear?
2-3 p.m., Highline Student Union (Building 8), room 302
Shaquita Pressley, speaker of the caucus for the Associated Students of Highline Community College (ASHCC), facilitates a discussion that explores the culture of fear in America and the impacts it has on policy, community and social change.

Thursday, Jan. 20
Education for Democracy: School Reform and the Legacy of Martin Luther King
Lecture 11-11:50 a.m., Q&A noon to 12:30 p.m., Highline Student Union (Building 8), Mt. Constance and Mt. Olympus rooms
Bill Ayers, distinguished professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, discusses the battle over education reform and democracy.

'9500 Liberty'
1-3 p.m., Building 7
"9500 Library," a documentary, highlights the immigration debate through the eyes of a community in Prince William County, Virginia. The film viewing will be followed by a group discussion.

Friday, Jan. 21
Reclaiming Martin Luther King's Vision of Social and Economic Justice
Lecture 10-10:50 a.m., Book signing 11-11:30 a.m., Building 7
Dr. Michael Honey, professor at the University of Washington - Tacoma, discusses his new book of Dr. King's speeches, "All Labor Has Dignity." "All Labor Has Dignity" explores a different aspect of Dr. King's ministry - his service to the working-class and poor left out of opportunity in American capitalism.

Skills for Anti-Oppression: Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment Model
Noon to 2 p.m., Highline Student Union (Building 8), Mt. Constance and Mt. Olympus rooms
Dr. Leticia Nieto, professor at St. Martin's University, leads a workshop that introduces participants to skills-based approaches that support organic development of anti-oppression in individuals.