April 2, 2018 Nacogdoches – The College of Fine Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University will join the National Civil Rights Museum’s MLK50 initiative Wednesday, April 4, by tolling the bells in Griffith Fine Arts Building in observance of the 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
While many will be in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4 to attend events commemorating the contributions King made during his 39 years before his assassination at the Lorriane Motel in Memphis on the evening of April 4, 1968, other observances will take place across the nation. One of those is a unified tolling of bells at universities that have chapels or bell towers.
King was assassinated at 6:01 p.m. Central Standard Time. Since the news rippled across the country, the bells will first ring at the National Civil Rights Museum at 6:01 p.m. CST. Bells will chime in the City of Memphis at 6:03 p.m. CST, at 6:05 p.m. CST nationally and 6:07 p.m. CST internationally.
At 6:05 p.m. Wednesday, the bells in Griffith Fine Arts Building will toll 39 times to mark the years King was alive.
“This is a simple, yet sincere way for us to acknowledge the loss of Dr. King, but more importantly, to recognize the significant contributions he made around the world,” said Dr. A.C. “Buddy” Himes, dean of the SFA College of Fine Arts.
