The Office of Multicultural Affairs is planning a day of service to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. on the eve of President-Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration.The day of service, to be held Monday, will give students an opportunity to carry on King’s legacy of volunteerism through service in Baton Rouge and Old South Baton Rouge Communities. University students and organizations will volunteer their time doing capital improvement projects, according to the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ Web site.”Day of service is an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to go out into the Old South Baton Rouge community and help make it a better place to live, work and play,” Cerise Edmonds, coordinator of Cross Cultural Affairs said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille. Students will work on improvement projects at Buchanan Elementary School, Polk Elementary School and the Battered Women’s Program.The Office of Multicultural Affairs continues the celebration of King’s legacy on Jan. 23 in the Lod Cook Alumni Center at 2 p.m. with a MLK Commemorative Program. The program will host Angela Davis, a prominent activist  during the civil rights movement. The University and surrounding Baton Rouge community is invited to hear Davis’ keynote address and attend the autograph session immediately following, Edmonds said.  “It’s important to know and understand what Dr. King and others did for civil rights in the ‘60s, but I believe it is even more important to show that understanding through collective responsibility,” Edmonds said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to help the community; it is everyone’s responsibility to commemorate the ideas and the struggles—and the way to do it is through celebrating with service and showcasing talents and having prominent people speak on how their life and works have been influenced by Dr. King.” The Office of the Multicultural Affairs will hold a final celebration on Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at the School of Music’s recital hall. The inauguration of Obama shows that Americans are open to debate that will improve America, said Chaunda Allen, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille.”Dr. King fought against many of the ills plaguing our society,” Allen said. “In addition to civil rights, he also spoke out against war, poverty and the rights of working individuals. The inauguration of [Obama] signifies that the ideals of our country, many of which are the same that Dr. King shared, are a collective responsibility and that, as Americans, we are open to engaging in conversations that may be difficult but that we hope will ultimately make us a better nation.” —-Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]