MLK Celebration Events

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

Community Conversations


Monday, January 15
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.

Living Wage for the Thriving of Humanity
10–11:15 a.m.
Wilton Center, Multi-Faith Room
Co-Facilitators: Dana Wiggins, Director of the Center for Economic Justice, Virginia Poverty Law Center, and Eric Yellin, Associate Professor of History and American Studies
REGISTER

Empowering Our Youth for the Future of Humanity
12–1:15 p.m.
Heilman Dining Center, Richmond Room
Co-Facilitators: Ny’Asia Flowers, University of Richmond senior, and Trey Hartt, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Hive
REGISTER

Honoring Humanity in Storytelling
4–5:15 p.m.
Westhampton Center, Living Room
Co-Facilitators: Enjoli Moon, Co-Founder of the JXN Project, and Nicole Maurantonio, Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies
REGISTER

Equitable Education for Humanity
5:30–6:45 p.m.
Heilman Dining Center, Richmond Room
Co-Facilitators: Libby Germer, Interim Assistant Director with the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and Former Principal of Rise Academy, and Wendell Roberts, Adjunct Professor of Educational Leadership
REGISTER

DIY Service Project

Monday, January 15, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Tyler Haynes Commons, Room 305

Participants are welcome to join for all or part of the session and will create blankets for the Elk Hill Group Home and community support bags for Peter Paul. No registration is required.

There are also limited slots to pick up kits to create blankets for the Elk Hill Group Home on your own, then return them to the Law School or Bonner Center for Civic Engagement office by Friday, Feb. 2.

Commitment to Humanity: The Church as A Movement for Inclusive Action 

Thursday, January 18, 6–7 p.m., Spider Hall, Queally Athletic Center

The Civil Rights Movement was led by Christian leaders like Rev. Dr. Wyatt T. Walker, but created a movement that was open to all faiths. Panelists at this 2024 MLK Celebration event will speak about how faith communities have and can continue to be key centers of inclusive social movements. Dr. Lauranett Lee will facilitate a panel with Rev. Benjamin Campbell, author of Richmond’s Unhealed History, Rev. Dr. Faith B. Harris, executive director of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, and Dr. George W. C. Lyons, Jr., senior pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church in Petersburg. Registration is encouraged.
REGISTER

A Beloved Community Gathering

Tuesday, January 23, 4–5 p.m., Cannon Memorial Chapel
Reception to follow, 5–6 p.m., The Current, Tyler Haynes Commons

Join us on for the culminating event of our MLK Celebration. Honoring King's vision of a beloved community, we'll gather for an inspiring afternoon featuring a keynote address by the Hon. Roger L. Gregory, the first African-American appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and a musical performances. Don't miss this memorable occasion as we come together in unity, reflection, and celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s enduring legacy. No registration is required.

 

Media are welcome to attend the service project on Jan. 15 and the main community events on Jan. 18 and 23. Please RSVP to Sunni Brown, director of media and public relations, at sbrown5@richmond.edu if you plan to attend.