Members of the University of Washington community came together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during MLK Week, Jan. 15-22.
Inspired by past campus MLK Day celebrations, the first-ever week-long series of events gave students, faculty, staff and alumni many more ways to engage in service and activism, both on and off campus. It was a collaborative effort produced by OMA&D’s Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, the Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center and the Center for Communication, Difference & Equity.
Events were hosted by departments and student organizations from across campus. Festivities officially kicked off with the MLK Birthday Party at the HUB, Jan. 15. The celebration featured treats and spoken word performances by student Mariama Suwaneh and alumni Troy Osaki, ’13, and Nikkita Oliver, ’15. A Black History Mobile Museum was also on display.
MLK Day of Service activities took place Mon., Jan. 18, with several opportunities for participation including the 34th annual MLK Day Celebration at Garfield High School that featured workshops, a rally and a community march.
Additional events included an Unconscious Bias Workshop for students and staff conducted by Donna DeBerry, global inclusion & diversity program manager at Starbucks. The session helped attendees recognize their own biases, and learn to interrupt the impact these biases have on interactions with others.
The Ron McCurdy Quartet performed a multimedia concert production of the Langston Hughes’ poem, “Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz.” The night featured jazz music, spoken word and videography to deliver this social justice-centered concert at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre. MLK Week concluded with a day-long Black Lives Matter Teach-In at the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center where students, staff and faculty engaged in discussions around why and how racial justice activism matters.
The photos below show a glimpse at some of the MLK Week 2016 highlights. Special thanks to Emile Pitre (Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity) and Bryan Nakata (Undergraduate Academic Affairs) for sharing their work for this gallery (click on the photos to enlarge).
Photos by Bryan Nakata and Emile Pitre