Benjamin Chavis, president and chief executive officer of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, will deliver the keynote address Tuesday, Jan. 22, for Western Carolina University’s celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Chavis will speak on “Today’s Struggle ... Tomorrow’s Success” as part of a program sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor. The program, to begin at 7 p.m. in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom, is open to the public and free of charge.

Through the nonprofit Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Chavis works to unite musicians, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents and youth leaders in the belief that hip-hop can be an agent for social change — that it can empower youth and help combat poverty and injustice.

Chavis began his career as a civil rights activist in 1965 as a North Carolina youth coordinator for King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1969, he was appointed southern regional program director of the 1.7 million-member United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice and, by 1985, was executive director and CEO. In 1988, Chavis was elected vice president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Then in 1993, Chavis became the youngest person ever to be the executive director and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Other community events planned to honor King include:

• Sunday, Jan. 20 — The Town of Sylva Unity March will begin at God’s Holy Tabernacle Church at 5 p.m. and end at Bridge Park.

• Monday, Jan. 21 — A Unity Breakfast will be held in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom at 9 a.m. Historian Darin J. Waters will deliver a speech titled “African-Americans in the Appalachian Mountains of WNC.” The cost is $9 for faculty, staff and community members; $5 for youth who are 18 years old and younger, and free to WCU students with Cat Card. The Office of Multicultural Affairs will take reservations through Thursday, Jan. 17, via e-mail at siler@wcu.edu or by phone at (828) 227-7450.

• Monday, Jan. 21 — A “Day of Service” will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with Western students volunteering to help youth-focused community agencies. The event will conclude with a reception and time for reflection in the University Center’s multipurpose room at 5 p.m.

• Wednesday, Jan. 23 — Students will lead a round-table discussion centered on “Real Talk about Racial and Ethnic Tensions” in the multipurpose room of the University Center.

• Thursday, Jan. 24 — An “Evening of Arts” will be held in Room 130 of the Fine and Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. Winners of the Youth Art and Essay Contest will be honored.

• Friday, Jan. 25 — The WCU celebration will close with a “Unity Prayer” at noon on the lawn of the University Center.

• Friday, Jan. 25 — The WCU celebration will close with a “Unity Prayer” at noon on the lawn of the University Center.

These events are presented by the MLK Jr. Planning Committee, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Chancellor’s Office, Center for Service Learning, Sylva’s Bridging Jackson County Communities, Residential Student Association, Organization of Ebony Students and the Student Government Association.

For more information contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs at 828.227.2276.