Come Celebrate the Opening of the New Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground Next Week
The newly expanded Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground opens on Tuesday, January 21, at its new home at 808 Commonwealth Ave. A series of special events will celebrate the opening throughout the week. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi
Come Celebrate the Opening of the New Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground Next Week
Schedule of events will include panel discussions, music, dance, food
At five times its former size, the new Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground (HTC)—three years in the works—has more elbow room for events, and it will put that space to good use in a weeklong celebration of its opening January 21. BU’s student center for inclusive community programs moves from its old digs in the George Sherman Union basement to 808 Commonwealth Ave., where it will occupy much of the first and second floors. Here is a listing of events celebrating HTC’s opening, all of which are free and open to members of the BU community.
Marsh Chapel Worship Service
When: Sunday, January 19
Where: Marsh Chapel
Time: 11 am
The Rev. Robert Allan Hill, dean of Marsh Chapel, will devote his sermon to Howard Thurman (Hon.’67) (1899–1981), who served as the BU chapel’s dean from 1953 to 1965. Thurman, who preached a philosophy of common ground, which teaches that humans need to seek an inner spiritual happiness that would lead them to share their experience in community with others, was the first black dean at a mostly white American university.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Celebration
When: Monday, January 20
Where: Metcalf Ballroom, GSU
Time: Noon to 2 pm
The University and the city of Boston’s second joint observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day will honor BU’s most famous alumnus and a mentee of Thurman’s. This year’s ceremony for King (GRS’55, Hon.’59) will give special nods to both King’s and Thurman’s wives, Coretta Scott King and Sue Bailey Thurman (Hon.’92), in a celebration of women who fought for social justice. Speakers will include US Senator Edward Markey (Hon.’04) (D-Mass.) and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.
Howard Thurman Center Opening Reception
When: Tuesday, January 21
Where: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Time: 3 to 5 pm
HTC staff will offer guided tours of the new space, and hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
Pro Sports & Pop Culture: A Lasting Marriage?
When: Tuesday, January 21
Where: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Time: 6 to 7:30 pm
The new HTC boasts event venues the old center could only dream of. This inaugural panel discussion will explore the evolving place of sports in America, including its role in, and clashes with, social justice movements. Panelists will include BU trustee Kevin Merida (COM’79), senior vice president of ESPN; Michael Holley, cohost of NBC Sports Boston’s Boston Sports Tonight and a College of Communication associate professor of the professional practice of journalism; and Shira Springer, sports and society reporter for WBUR, the University’s National Public Radio station.
Mind, Body, Soul: Stories of Well-being
When: Wednesday, January 22
Where: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Thurman was a mystic and nature lover who stressed the importance of individuals changing their own internal spirit. Focusing inward to find contentment will be the subject of a discussion led by Joan Diver, author of When Spirit Calls: A Healing Odyssey; Piero Falci, a stress-reduction instructor at the South Florida Center for Mindfulness; BU trustee Ryan K. Roth Gallo (LAW’99); and Carrie Landa, director of BU Student Health Services Behavioral Medicine.
The Psalm of Howard Thurman: The Journey of a Dream of the Heart by Filmmaker Arleigh Prelow
When: Thursday, January 23
Where: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Time: 6 to 7:30 pm
Filmmaker Prelow screens excerpts and outtakes from her documentary, The Psalm of Howard Thurman, and discusses her relationship with the Thurmans.
Coffee and Conversation
When: Friday, January 24
Where: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Time: 3 to 5 pm
Coffee and Conversation is a Boston University tradition. Each week, students, faculty, and staff gather at the HTC to discuss the day’s headlines, trending topics, and controversial ideas. Led by Kenneth Elmore (Wheelock’87), associate provost and dean of students, this program is an opportunity to practice civil discourse, discover your voice, and listen to new perspectives. Check our website for the topic. The weekly student discussion holds its inaugural session in the new HTC Friday.
A Howard Thurman Center Celebration
When: Saturday, January 25
Where: Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Commonwealth Ave.
Time: 8 to 10 pm
What better way to cap off the weeklong celebration than with a party featuring appetizers, live music by Boston music and video producer Rollins Ross, owner of Ross Music Co., and dancing.
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