Events to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Walk the Walk Week

Author: Erin Blasko

Walk The Walk
Walk The Walk

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the University of Notre Dame will host “Walk the Walk Week,” a weeklong celebration of King and his legacy, from Jan. 15 to 22, with events including a prayer service, lectures, film screenings and a celebration luncheon.

Walk the Walk Week offers opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the broader community to celebrate the diversity that exists on campus and to reflect on ways to make Notre Dame even more welcoming and inclusive.

“Dr. Martin Luther King was not just the leader of a movement for political and social reform. He was at his core a pastor who challenged us morally and spiritually. That is why his life, his words and his actions are so important for us at Notre Dame, where we reverence both faith and reason, strive to live with moral purpose and cultivate habits of true service," Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. said. "Let us use this week to reflect on Dr. King's message and consider how we at Notre Dame can embrace one another more fully as sisters and brothers in a community of love."

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15) will be marked by a Candlelight Prayer Service at 11 p.m. in the Main Building with Father Jenkins presiding. A procession to the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue will follow. This event is sponsored by the Office of the President, Campus Ministry, and the President’s Oversight Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. It is open to the public.

On Monday (Jan. 22) students, faculty, and staff are invited to a campus-wide MLK Celebration Luncheon and program in the University’s Joyce Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The luncheon is a free but ticketed event. The luncheon program will feature “A Conversation with David and Corey Robinson: Our Next Step” and remarks by Father Jenkins. Corey Robinson, a Notre Dame alumnus and former student body president will interview his father, former NBA Hall of Famer and philanthropist, David Robinson. Voices of Faith Gospel Choir will perform musical selections before the program. Members of the Notre Dame community who are unable to attend the campus-wide luncheon are invited to gather with friends and colleagues for lunch in the dining halls to continue the day’s conversations.

 Additional events are as follows:

Jan. 16 (Tuesday)

• Mindful Protest Student Workshop, featuring writer, activist, speaker and filmmaker Bree Newsome, 4 p.m., 138 DeBartolo Hall.

• “Tearing Hatred from the Sky,” featuring writer, activist, speaker and filmmaker Bree Newsome, 7 p.m., 101 DeBartolo Hall.

Jan. 17 (Wednesday)

• National Museum of African American History & Culture Forum, featuring students and faculty, 7:00 p.m., Eck Center Auditorium.

• “1968: When the World Changed Movies and Movies Changed the World,” featuring a screening of “Oliver!” winner of the 1968 Oscar for Best Picture, 7:30 p.m., Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

Jan. 18 (Thursday)

• 3rd Thursdays @ The Snite / Connections: Art, Community, Action,” featuring a unifying drum circle and opportunities to create works of art that bring beauty and healing into the world, 5 p.m., Snite Museum of Art.

• “Quest,” a documentary portrait of an American family in South Philadelphia and its struggles with poverty and strife at the dawn of the Obama era, 7 p.m., Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

• Duncan Student Center Grand Opening, featuring multicultural student group performances and instructional entertainment, 8:30 p.m., Duncan Student Center.

Jan. 19 (Friday)

• “A New Civil Rights Agenda: Racism, Multiracial Coalitions and Pathways for Solidarity,” featuring Jennifer A. Jones, assistant professor of sociology and faculty fellow, Institute for Latino Studies, 12:30 p.m., Geddes Hall Coffee House.

• Higher Ground Artist: L.A. Theatre Works presents “The Mountaintop,” Olivier Award winner for Best New Play, 7:30 p.m., Leighton Concert Hall, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

Jan. 20 (Saturday)

• Higher Ground Artist: UZIMA!, featuring Kelly Morgan, founder and director of local dance company UZIMA! and master African drummer James Riley, Notre Dame Class of 1994, 7:30 p.m., Leighton Concert Hall, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

Jan. 21 (Sunday)

• “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney’s return to 2-D animation and its first animated film to feature an African-American princess, noon, Browning Cinema, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

Jan. 22 (Monday)

• Exhibit: Civil Rights Photography, 1:30 p.m., Snite Museum of Art.

For ticketing and other information, visit diversity.nd.edu/walk-the-walk.

Contact: Erin Blasko, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu