Hood Theological Seminary

SALISBURY — Hood Theological Seminary’s department of the history of Christianity will host “MLK50,” a panel discussion on the significance of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Community and religious leaders and activists from Salisbury and beyond will reflect on how their lives, churches and organizations have been shaped by the work of King, as well as what remains to be done to complete the vision that King presented for society in his last book, “Where Do We Go From Here – Chaos or Community?”

The panel will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in Room 315 on the seminary campus, 1810 Lutheran Synod Drive.

Students, pastors, community leaders and residents of the Salisbury area are invited to discuss significant successes and failures during the past 50 years and reflect on how they have been influenced by the life and ministry of King. The discussion will aim to provide space to consider what the church’s role is in participating in the realization of King’s broader human and economic rights platform in the 21st century.

Sharon Grant, assistant professor of the history of Christianity, is the convener.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday in the seminary’s Aymer Center, the Center for Faith and the Arts and Covenant Community Connection will host a free screening of the award-winning documentary “Chairman Jones: An Improbable Leader.”

The hourlong film is presented as part of Cinema CFA. In the film, James Henry Jones, a self-educated farmer, overcomes racism and lack of formal education to lead the fight to end nearly a century of education inequality in Northampton County during the Jim Crow and civil rights eras.

A panel discussion, “21st-Century Struggle for Justice: The Church’s Role,” will follow the screening.

Highlighting the importance of preparing youths to engage social justice issues, brief video messages created through a youth arts outreach program at Mission House will be presented by their creators and Ash Love, art educator and community advocate.

Both events are free and open to the public.