MLK Week Celebration Kicks Off Jan. 16
This message has been approved by Dr. Sierra Turner, director of the center's Office of Representation, Inclusion & Student Equity.
Florida State University will host the 2023 celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week Jan. 16-20. The celebration—this year crafted around the theme “It Starts with Us: Advocating for Access in Higher Education and Society”—has honored King’s life and work for more than three decades.
The week of events across campus aligns with King's birthday on Jan. 15 and the federal holiday observed on the third Monday of the month. Following King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence, the celebration brings together speakers, performances, dialogues and other events to unite the FSU and Tallahassee communities to reflect on the past and engage in creating social justice and advocating for the civil rights of all.
Beginning on Monday, Jan. 16, the Center for Leadership & Social Change will lead a Day of Service in which Engage TLH will host service trips on campus and in the Tallahassee community.
The University’s primary celebration will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 17, featuring feature university performances, award presentations, and the Golden Torch Lecture keynote from Ben Crump, an FSU alumnus and renowned civil rights attorney. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Ruby Diamond Auditorium. Although the event is free and open to the public, tickets are required. Those who wish to learn more about Crump’s life work before he speaks on campus can join a screening of the Netflix documentary Civil: Ben Crump at the Askew Student Life Cinema on Friday, Jan. 13.
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, members of the FSU community are encouraged to join in a day of education and reflection to celebrate King’s life and work. Explore local African-American historical and cultural sites, visit online exhibits, and share your reflections on King’s legacy with @thecenterfsu.
A panel about the history and impacts of imposter syndrome will be hosted on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Globe Auditorium and on Zoom. Closing out the week of celebrations on Friday, Jan. 20 will be the Black Faculty, Staff and Graduate Student Mixer, hosted in the Black Student Union House at 5:30 p.m.
For more information about the celebration and individual events, visit mlk.fsu.edu.