This week the Notre Dame community will come together to celebrate the life and mission of one of our nation's finest leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Although students spent the official holiday registering for classes and moving their things back into the dorms, the University will sponsor several events this week that focus on diversity, race relations and the importance of community.

This year's theme, "It Takes a Village to Plant the Future," will emphasize the necessity for the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's communities to look beyond campus boundaries and reach out to our neighbors in South Bend and Mishawaka.

"This is a truly excellent opportunity," says Pricilla Wong, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry. "Not because it is a `race matters' issue, but because it touches upon basic human dignity. It is so easy for us to divide ourselves, and draw lines between us. We must cross that line, and try to go out into the community and relate to our neighbors."

"The poor in our countries have been shut out of our minds and driven from the mainstream of our societies, because we have allowed them to become invisible."

One highlight of the week's activities will be an address on Tuesday evening by Dr. Cornel West, a renowned scholar, author and Harvard professor. As one of the nation's premier public intellectuals, Dr. West, whose books are widely recognized and used in University classes, will offer his thoughts and reflections on the relationship between colleges and universities, and their surrounding communities. "We have a wonderful speaker, able to articulate so much about humanity through race, and he brings this to us through a broader prospective," says Wong.

"We see men as Jews or Gentiles, Catholics or Protestants, Chinese or American, Negros or whites. We fail to think of them as fellow human beings made form the same basic stuff as we, molded in the same divine image."

The Student Government on Wednesday will present "Colors of the World," an interactive forum bringing together a panel of students with different backgrounds to tell their stories that have increased their own awareness about diversity.

"This is an opportunity for students to actively speak to each other about things we don't normally like to talk about," says Wong. "But, it's okay to talk about these issues. It is a time to share, learn and listen to all kinds of experiences, while taking away the element of fear." As a step toward making Notre Dame and Saint Mary's campuses for everyone, the panel will discuss the need for everyone to become aware and respectful of the differences that bring unique individuals to our schools.

"The Church has an opportunity and duty to lift up its voice like a trumpet and declare unto the people the immortality of segregation. It must affirm that every human life is a reflection of divinity, and that every act of injustice mars and defaces the image of God in man."

Thursday evening, the Stanford-Keenan chapel will host a prayer service, entitled "Mustard Seed Faith." The service, closing the Dr. King commemoration, will be a gathering to celebrate our role as individuals living as a community of faith. University president Fr. Malloy will offer his reflection on our faith and social commitment as a university, and Rene Mulligan, a senior from Pasquerilla West, will share her ideas of Christian witness through community service.

"The prayer service reminds us that God is certainly a part of all of this. This observance is truly an illustration of all that Notre Dame represents: God, family and education," says Kat Walsh, a Student Gov-ernment representative to the Dr. King celebration.

"I have a dream today."

This week's Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration is an invitation to every student to honor the greatest civil rights leader our nation's history. King not only crossed racial barriers, he broke them down. Now, it is our turn. We, as students, have the opportunity to break down our own barriers by helping the community and recognizing the importance of basic human dignity in those around us. It may takes a village to plant the future, but it is an individual's responsibility to become a part of that village.

"I really hope that everyone attends these events," says Walsh. "Sometimes, people see posters, and think that this is just another Notre Dame event. However, this is a time to take action. Everyone talks about problems with diversity [on campus] and we are offering an opportunity to really talk about it. The time is now- it's here."

• This week, the University honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with several activities, reminding students that "it takes a villiage to plant the future."