MLK Celebration Events

All events are open to community members, alumni, students, staff, and faculty. 

MLK Celebration Giveaways

Friday, January 17, 12-1 p.m.
Heilman Dining Center Lobby

The MLK Celebration Committee will hand out t-shirts and stickers while supplies last!

Community Conversations


January 20–23

Community Conversations are opportunities for us to engage in dialogue across differences. At each Community Conversation, facilitators will offer their perspectives then invite participants into discussion. Registration is required.

Making Politics Digestible to the Masses
Monday, Jan. 20, 9:30–11 a.m.
Richmond Room, Heilman Dining Center, 410 Westhampton Way
Facilitator: Thad Williamson, Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, University of Richmond
REGISTER

Strengthening Our Schools

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Richmond Room, Heilman Dining Center, 410 Westhampton Way
Facilitator: Wendell Roberts, School Board Attorney at Chesterfield County Public Schools
REGISTER

Empowering Our Youth

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Richmond Room, Heilman Dining Center, 410 Westhampton Way
Facilitator: Ram Bhagat, Manager of School Culture and Climate Strategy for Richmond Public Schools
REGISTER

Telling Broader, More Diverse Stories
Thursday, Jan. 23, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
Richmond Room, Heilman Dining Center, 410 Westhampton Way
Facilitator: Joseph Rogers, Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
REGISTER

Service Projects

Monday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Alice Haynes Room, Tyler Haynes Commons, 270 Richmond Way

Volunteers are invited to sign up for on-site or off-site opportunities to support Celebrate! RVA and Elk Hill during this year’s MLK Celebration. Celebrate! RVA hosts birthday parties for underserved children in Richmond who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to have a party for their special day. Elk Hill enables children and families to transform overwhelming challenges into successful futures through specialized education, community-based mental health services, and residential treatment programs.
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An Engagement with the Wyatt Tee Walker Collection

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 7–8:30 p.m.
International Center Commons, Carole Weinstein International Center, 211 Richmond Way

Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker was a lifelong civil rights activist and a key leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He, and his wife Theresa Ann Walker, donated their collection to the University of Richmond in 2016. Dr. George W.C. Lyons, Jr., senior pastor at Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg where Dr. Walker also served as paster, will offer opening remarks, then we will explore original materials from the collection, including his notes on nonviolence and love letters between Dr. Walker and Mrs. Walker, that speak to the every day people, choices, and actions needed to create a just society.
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Beloved Community March and Gathering

Thursday, Jan. 23, 5–7 p.m.
The Forum and Queally Center for Admission and Career Services 

This special celebration will feature a guest speaker, good food, music, and begin with a march as we ask ourselves, “what does beloved community mean at the University of Richmond?” The march will begin in The Forum at 5 p.m. and end at the Queally Center for Admission and Career Services, where we will reflect together on Dr. King's legacy that inspires everyday choices and action. All are welcome for the march and celebration that symbolizes coming together with positive intentions for our beloved community. Registration is preferred but not required. Rain or shine. Please dress warmly.
REGISTER