Bowling Green, Ky. - A woman who overcame a life of heroin use, abusive relationships and low self-esteem to become an award-winning journalist, author and motivational speaker will be the featured speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Convocation at Western Kentucky University.

Patrice Gaines, the author of “Laughing in the Dark: From Colored Girl to Woman of Color, A Journey from Prison to Power” and “Moments of Grace: Meeting the Challenge to Change,” will speak at 11 a.m. Jan. 17 at WKU’s Van Meter Auditorium. The convocation is free and open to the public.

Gaines was a journalist for 23 years, including 16 as a reporter at The Washington Post where she carved a niche for herself focusing on human-interest stories that reflected current issues. She retired from the newspaper in 2001 and continues to freelance for several publications.

During her last six years at the Post, Gaines researched an old murder case, trying to prove eight young men incarcerated for the crime are innocent. In the course of her investigation, she discovered witnesses who admitted they lied and police who used questionable methods to interrogate them. Her work led her to leave the newspaper to devote her time to raising the public’s awareness of judicial improprieties and the need for revamping the judicial and penal systems of the country.

For more on Gaines, visit her website at www.patricegaines.com

The King holiday events are sponsored by the Martin Luther King Planning Committee of Bowling Green. The schedule follows (all events are free and open to the public unless noted):

7:30 a.m.: Memorial Breakfast at Girls Inc. of Bowling Green, 260 Scott Way. Speaker will be the Rev. Tommy Murrell of 11th Street Baptist Church. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green, Bowling Green Human Rights Commission or State Street Baptist Church.

10 a.m.: Unity March from the Warren County Justice Center on Center Street to Van Meter Hall at WKU. Community and civic organizations are encouraged to participate.

11 a.m.: Convocation at Van Meter Auditorium. Speaker is author Patrice Gaines. A reception will follow at the Kentucky Museum.

The Martin Luther King Planning Committee consists of members from the Bowling Green community, the Human Rights Commission, Bowling Green Ministerial Alliance, the Housing Authority of Bowling Green, Girls Scouts of Kentuckiana, Western Kentucky University, WKU Campus Activities Board, WKU Office of Diversity Programs, the NAACP and various community churches.

The MLK Planning Committee aims to offer activities that will raise the consciousness and participation of the Bowling Green Community in recognizing the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For information, contact Housing Authority of Bowling Green at (270) 843-6071, WKU’s Office of Diversity Programs at (270) 745-5066 or Bowling Green Human Rights Commission at (270) 782-7900.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For more information, contact Monica Burke at (270) 745-5066.