History of MLK Day at Concordia
Though it’s taken many different shapes and has evolved in its planning, Concordia has historically hosted an MLK Day commemoration to empower our community to address current societal issues and cultivate cultural awareness through an examination of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy and its effect on our world today.
The tradition of picking a theme for each year began in 2013 and has since continued. In previous years, the planning committee would invite faculty, students, and staff to personally disrupt their normal work or class schedule to attend the events of the day; however, in 2018, a proposal made by the Student Government Association was approved by Faculty Senate to officially have classes reconvened. From 2018 onward, classes continue to be reconvened for the day.
Below is a recent snapshot of years that Concordia has hosted an MLK Day event, along with information on the theme and speakers, if available.
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2008
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Daryl Davis
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2009
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Dr. Arthur Romano and Dr. Eric Burin
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2010
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Brent Scarpo and Dr. Richard Green
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2011
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Ta-Nehisi Coates, M.anifest performance
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2012
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Dr. Charles Johnson
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2013
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Shakti Butler and Ericka Huggins, “Seeing is Believing”
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2014
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Minniejean Brown Trickey, “Only Love Can Do That”
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2015
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Dr. Tricia Rose, “Build the Community, Build the Future”
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2016
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Nikole Hannah-Jones and Rozella White, “Don’t Be Silent”
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2017
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Shaun King, “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere”
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2018
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Robin DiAngelo, “Free at Last?”
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2019
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Frank Leon Roberts and Tara Setmayer, “Silence is Betrayal”
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2020
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Ijeoma Uluo and Janaya Khan, “Not Racist—A White Moderate Myth”
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2021
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Dr. Jason Sole and Lakota Harden, “Stolen Land, Stolen Labor: Secrets to Success”
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2022
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Payton Head and Derecka Purnell, “Daring to Dream: The Radical Imagination of a New Generation”
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2023
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Mariah Parker and the Rev. Kenneth Wheeler, “Generated by Love: Let our voices be heard and our works be seen”
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2024
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Funmilola Fagbamila and Chinedu Onaka, “Communities in Action, Empowering the Dream”
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