AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA), in partnership with Aiken Technical College, will host the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 26.
The event is scheduled to be held at the university’s Convocation Center, located at 2049 Champion Way, in Graniteville, and will feature a service fair at 2:30 p.m. followed by a ceremony at 3 p.m.
Christale Spain, who is the first black woman to chair the South Carolina Democratic Party, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker.
Spain is a South Carolina native and a USCA and Columbia College graduate. While an undergrad, Spain was a premier USCA women’s basketball player, leading the team in rebounds and points.
“She is the only player in the university’s history, male or female, to have over 1,000 career points and rebounds,” according to a press release from USCA.
Spain also became involved with the state party as a volunteer in 2012, working her way up to executive director. Throughout her career, she has worked under the past three SCDP chairs.
With extensive experience in campaign management, Spain has worked at a senior level for several presidential campaigns, including Senator Bernie Sanders’ in 2016 and Senator Cory Booker’s in 2020.
Following that, she led the South Carolina Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign for Jaime Harrison’s historic 2020 U.S. Senate race.
Spain also served as the Senior Advisor for Black Engagement at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the landmark 2022 midterm elections.
She is known as a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and is the founding chair of the SCDP Black Women’s Caucus.
The MLK Community Celebration will also recognize recipients of the Human and Civil Rights Champion Awards and winners of the MLK Poster and Essay contests, featuring local K-12 students.
Nominations are open through Dec. 1 for the Human and Civil Rights Champion award that recognizes those who have demonstrated advocacy and support for diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights.
Interested parties can view the nomination forms and criteria below:
- Nominate an Aiken County community member: https://bit.ly/3Ad6XJl
- Nominate an Aiken Tech student: https://bit.ly/3XKuA4H
Nominate a USCA student: https://bit.ly/4eYTofv
