Morehouse College is currently holding its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration with a plethora of events taking place Jan. 16-31.
This year’s commemoration holds special significance as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day coincides with Inauguration Day, positioning Morehouse to lead a prompt discussion on the nation’s current state and the path ahead.
Morehouse, alongside the Bonner Office of Community Service and community partner Target, held an MLK Day of Service, which celebrates the enduring legacy of Dr. King, class of 1948, who developed his philosophy of nonviolent social change during his time at Morehouse under the mentorship of renowned intellectual leaders.
During the event, volunteers were able to distribute hygiene kits, blankets, food, and orchestrate clean-ups, and more for the West End homeless community. Also, the purpose of the events is to educate the world on Dr. King’s historical and contemporary impact while engaging local and global communities in celebration of his legacy.
Director of the Bonner Office of Community Service Dr. Wilbur Whitney said it’s an important day of service to highlight, honor, and continue Dr. King’s legacy.
“Dr. King was one of our greatest alumni and it’s a particularly important thing for us to partake in service and give back to the community,” he said. “It’s a special day for us as this is something we do every year and the work doesn’t stop after this one day, this is Dr. King’s legacy that we are not only honoring but continuing.”
Morehouse College Vice President for Student Services and Dean of the College, Kevin Booker said the significance of the day of service is to honor Dr. King’s legacy and to use this day and every other day to give back to the community.
“This day is monumental because Dr. King fought for so many rights and stood up for us to have the freedom we have today. This day of commemoration and honoring is about giving back to the community because that’s what Dr. King stood for,” he said.
Junior Devin Thompson said he believes Dr. King would be proud of the work Morehouse does every year.
“It is an honor to take part in this monumental day of service. I’ve taken part every year thus far since becoming a part of this family at Morehouse,” he said. “Even on this very cold day, I wanted to be able to give back to my community and share Dr. King’s dream and continue his legacy.”
This year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration experience includes a robust schedule of activities that blends the past, present, and the future, with events designed to engage students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters.
Additionally, other events Morehouse is hosting include:
· MLK Crown Forum
– Date: Thursday., Jan. 23
– Time: 11 a.m.
– Location: MLK International Chapel
– Speaker: Rev. Dr. Keyon Payton, ’01
- Viewing of Historic Documents
– Date: Mon., Jan. 27
– Time: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
– Location: Archives Research Center, AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library
- MLK Lecture and Conversation Series
– Date: Wednesday, Jan. 29
– Time: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
– Location: Massey Conference Center
- Human Rights Film Festival
– Film: Undivide Us
– Date: Thursday, Jan. 30
– Time: 6 p.m.
– Location: Families First, 80 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW, Atlanta
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://morehouse.edu/events/signature-events/mlk-commemoration.
