New MLK Jr. Building Gets Ready To Open Its Doors

By Percival Parlade Jr.
Spectrum Staff Writer

With the finishing touches being placed on the new Martin Luther King Jr. Communication Arts & Humanities Building, there is an array of emotions in the air.

Bowie State University began construction in 2022. The building will house the departments of Communications, Military Science, History and Government, and Language, Literature and Cultural Studies. Students will start taking classes in the new building once it opens in the fall.

In a series of interviews with The Spectrum, students, faculty and staff shared their thoughts about moving out of the current MLK Jr. building. Built in 1973, a 2010 university facilities master plan characterized the five-decade-old building's condition this way: "The years and constant use have taken their toll, and the building is, simply, wearing out." 

“I’m excited that we’ll have new equipment and services available to students, said Khaleah Moon, a government major. [I’m] definitely I’d be down for that.”

The new MLK Jr. Communication Arts & Humanities Building is being constructed by Whiting-Turner at a cost of $129 million, according to the university’s website. With 192,000 square feet, the new facility will have a 1,500 seat auditorium, two radio and television studios, an ROTC plaza, an amphitheater and much more.

Perkins & Will, the architectural firm that created the facility’s unique design, included materials on the exterior façade that invoke a waveform of Dr. King’s voice calling us to have the “Courage to Face the Uncertainties of the Future” and an image of Dr. King inscribed on panels on the first level entrance to the auditorium, according to the website.

There will also be a two-story image of Lt. Richard Collins III inscribed into the panels on the second floor as a memorial and celebration of the undergraduate student who was slain just days before his graduation from BSU.

The aspect of a new building and newer equipment is appealing to many students.

This sentiment is shared not only among first-year students, but among seniors as well. “I wish I could get to see it,” Marcus Clark, a graduating senior, said. “But I’m glad that at least the new students coming to Bowie will get the chance to have some better opportunities.”

And while excitement runs high for students, other parties within Bowie are affected, too. Particularly, the staff and alumni. The creation of the new building will be a signal of the end of an era for its predecessor. The main concern of those who have worked in the building for several years arises from the many memories that they’ve gained through the years in the MLK building.

“It’s a mixed feeling! MLK has been a part of my life for quite a while but I understand we have to move on,” said history professor Dr. Carmen Walker. She continued, “Life moves on and the new building looks amazing!”

“This MLK building is like home to me,” said James Hairston, a BSU alumnus and current staff member of BSU-TV. “I’m excited for the growth Bowie is going to have but it's going to tear me apart to see this building come down.”

While there are different opinions and thoughts, one thing is certain. The completion of the new MLK Jr. Communication Arts and Humanities building will become an important part of the Bowie State experience.