State College to Host Local Legacy Search in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

State College Borough will host a “local legacy search” with grand prize drawings on Saturday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The event, organized by the borough’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza Committee, was rescheduled from Monday because of snow.

Community members of all ages can form groups of up to four and use provided clues to explore local historic landmarks and learn about King’s teachings, taking photos of each of the locations.

After completing the search, participants can go to the Downtown State College Improvement District office at the MLK Plaza, 127 S. Fraser St., from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday to submit their photos and be entered into a drawing to win a Downtown State College gift card. Members of the committee will be on hand to provide more information about King and the annual activities planned in the plaza.

First prize is a $100 gift Downtown State College gift card, second is a $50 gift card and third is a $25 gift card. All four members of a winning group are eligible to receive a gift card. The winning team will also receive a complimentary ticket to the national encore screening of the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD production of “Fire Shut Up in My Bones,” scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 26, at The State Theatre.

The State Theatre will provide all participants vouchers for a buy-one-get-one ticket offer for any future movie screened at The State Theatre.

All locations for the search are on the Penn State campus or downtown State College. The search does not have to be completed in the order below. Participants must bring their completed images to the Downtown State College Improvement District Office and are asked not to post pictures or the locations to social media until the end of the local legacy search.

Clues:

• During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. visited our area and held the attention of all who gathered to see and hear him. He left his mark in their hearts and minds. Capture a picture with the physical mark which honors King’s local visit.
• Penn State is one of two homes to world-renowned collections of African American culture in Pennsylvania that bear the same name as the collector. Find an item of interest within the physical collection and take a picture.
• Creating access to education and impactful leadership is an important aspect of extending the work of Dr. King and others. The first Black woman Assistant Vice President at Penn State in 1972 and the first Black principal in the State College Area School District hired in 1997 have definitely made their mark on the Penn State campus and within State College. Capture a picture with these two inspirational figures where they are featured with others yet stand out among the crowd.
• Someone always has to take the first step to break barriers and increase opportunities for expanded ways of teaching, learning, and growing. This person broke a barrier in 1956, becoming the first Black full-time faculty member hired at Penn State and paved the way for others to follow. Take a picture of the marker in the location that commemorates this faculty member.
• Six steps for non-violent social change stand tall in downtown State College. Read through them and capture a picture with the one that means the most to you in the current moment. 
• Penn State prevented Black male students from living in Penn State campus housing from 1930 to 1946. Not far from campus, another “hall” with presidential nomenclature offered a safe place of residence for many who sought an education at Penn State, including football player Wally Triplett. Capture a picture at the residence that marks history and inspires us to create a more inclusive future.
• The Borough of State College has elected only one African American to public office, which happened very recently. Take a picture in front of the building where that person works.