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Mary Ellen Norwood Interview | MLK Commemorative Celebration

Interview with Ms. Mary Ellen Norwood-Ford, Witness #43 to MLK assassination
WKAR-MSU
Interview with Ms. Mary Ellen Norwood-Ford, Witness #43 to MLK assassination

Sun., Jan. 16 at 12 p.m. on Zoom | Join MSU and WKAR in honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the Commemorative Celebration week with Mary Ellen Norwood-Ford (witness #43 to the MLK assassination). RSVP HERE

MSU Administrative Professional Association is facilitating this pre-recorded interview in collaboration with WKAR. Ms. Mary will offer a first-hand account of April 4, 1968, and her experience of this historic moment. Come prepared to interact and engage with others via Zoom chat immediately following.

Registrationfor this FREE virtual event is required.
After registering, attendees will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

About Mary Ellen Norwood-Ford
Mary Ellen Norwood-Ford was born Mary Ellen Nelson, in Marion, Arkansas on, October 3, 1946, to Henry Nelson and Mary Elizabeth Nelson. She had six brothers and two sisters. She began working at the Lorraine Hotel in her early 20’s. She enjoyed her job and enjoyed meeting people from all over the country. But Issac Hayes was her favorite famous person that came to visit the Lorraine Hotel. Shortly after that tragic day in April of 1968, Mary and her husband picked up their family and moved to Lansing, Michigan, and she has continued to live in this area until today.

Presented by Administrative Professional Association (APA), with production support by WKAR Public Media.

More About Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration
In 1980, a graduate student at MSU founded the Committee Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (ccMLKJr). It was that year when the first program to commemorate the civil rights leader took place. In honor of Dr. King, a tree was planted and dedicated near the Student Services Building and a bust mounted in the lobby of the Student Services Building was gifted by the Wonders Hall Black Caucus.

The Office for Inclusion began coordinating the MLK activities at MSU in 2000 and was successful in endowing a scholarship program in his name in 2003.The Planning Committee has a broad line-up of activities being coordinated for the University community. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate in this year’s theme Where Do We Go from Here – Chaos or Community? 

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