We are proud to announce plans for the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to be held Jan. 14-20.
In its 35th year, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is one of Oregon State University’s longest running events focused on social justice and transformative change. This year, the Celebration will consist of:
- The Celebration – A week-long event consisting of workshops, speakers, service opportunities and other community engagement events hosted by many OSU departments. The Celebration will begin with a day of service on Saturday, Jan. 14, hosted by the Center for Civic Engagement.
- The Peace Breakfast and Keynote Address – A breakfast to honor the legacy of Dr. King, where legacy awards are presented to community members for exemplary service. The breakfast will take place on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Jan. 16 – and will be followed by a keynote address.
This year’s keynote speaker is Franchesca Ramsey, an actress, comedian, writer, activist and a leading voice at the confluence of pop culture and social justice education. She hosts the popular Decoded series on MTV News and was a writer and regular contributor to The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central. Ramsey’s work with Decoded explores race, ethnicity, gender and culture by using comedy as a vehicle for activism and learning. Ramsey has been featured on MTV, in the New York Times, NPR, Ebony Magazine and the BBC. During her visit to Oregon State, Ms. Ramsey will also spend time with students, faculty and staff.
The Peace Breakfast will be free and open to Oregon State community members and invited guests. The Keynote Address will be free and open to the public. Additional registration information for the Peace Breakfast will follow.
Celebration Events
An important part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration are events envisioned by Oregon State community members to collaboratively learn about, reflect on and carry on the legacy of Dr. King. Events in the past have included art shows, spoken word performances, interfaith celebrations, workshops, dialogues, lectures, panels, marches and calls to action, just to name a few.
Oregon State community members are encouraged to work together to plan and carry out events. Celebration events may be submitted here.Event submissions will be accepted until Dec. 28.
Celebration Legacy Awards
Two legacy awards are awarded each year at the Peace Breakfast by the Celebration committee – the Phyllis S. Lee Award and the Frances Dancy Hooks Award.
The Phyllis S. Lee Award honors a member of the Oregon State community who exemplifies Dr. Lee’s commitment and dedication to social justice and the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Frances Dancy Hooks Award recognizes Oregon State students, staff or faculty who exemplify Frances Dancy Hooks’ work: building bridges across cultures, showing courage in promoting diversity, and proudly “Walking the Talk.”
Please consider nominating a colleague deserving of one of these awards. Nomination submission instructions are available here. Nominations will be accepted until Dec. 28.
For updates and event information, please follow the Celebration on Facebook. We look forward to sharing more details about this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration with the Oregon State community!
Warmly,
The Office of Institutional Diversity and the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Planning Committee
