Texas State set to host 39th annual MLK Day celebrations
Texas State University’s Division of Inclusive Excellence is set to host the 39th annual Commemoration Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
The commemoration celebration will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m., beginning with an MLK solidarity march from the LBJ statue on the Quad to the LBJ Student Center Grand Ballroom. The celebration will continue with a formal program and reception in the ballroom at 5:30 p.m., Texas State said.
Leonard Moore — the former vice president of diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin and executive director of the UT Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative — will deliver remarks during the reception.
Texas State said Tuesday’s MLK Day event will pay homage to King’s life, while also highlighting talented students at Texas State.
Prior to Tuesday’s event, Texas State’s Division of Inclusive Excellence will also host a preliminary poster making workshop in the LBJ Student Center, suite 2-20.0 (Unity Lounge) from 1-2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16. The university said food and light refreshments will be provided.
According to Texas State, “Dream Together” will serve as this year’s theme, which “challenges people to collaborate in reflecting on King’s ideas and commemorating his legacy, while continuing the pursuit of a more just and equitable society for all.”
Texas State’s Division of Inclusive Excellence is also a sponsor of the Dunbar Heritage Association’s Martin Luther King Day events in San Marcos, The 21st annual MLK Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony, March and Celebration program will take place, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Monday at the LBJ-MLK Crossroads Memorial, located at the corner of LBJ Drive and MLK Drive.
Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January, honors Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy as a civil rights activist, Baptist minister and his campaigns for racial equality in the U.S. King won a Nobel Peace Prize and is remembered for his anti-war stance, his embrace of an economic justice program with the Poor People’s Campaign and criticism of economic exploitation.
“It is because of his selfless and dedicated activism that this day is also recognized as a Day of Service, where citizens are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities,” Texas State said in a news release. “Following support from trade unions and a petition with six million signatures, the bill to make MLK Day a federal holiday became a law in 1983. Texas State has observed and celebrated MLK Day since 1984, before it was nationally observed in 1986.”
For more information on the MLK Commemorative Celebration, visit inclusion.txst.edu/students/programs/cultural-celebrations/mlk.html.
