THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW:

A DAY ON—NOT A DAY OFF!

The University of Alabama campus community honors the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read a digitized copy of Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture: Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., Keynote Speaker

Monday, Jan. 31 | 6 p.m. | Zoom

Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr.
Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr.

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. will deliver this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture. Glaude is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and an MSNBC commentator. He is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including “Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul,” “In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America,” and his most recent, the New York Times bestseller, “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own,” take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy. In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s complexities, vulnerabilities and hope into full view. Hope that is, in one of his favorite quotes from W.E.B. Du Bois, “not hopeless, but a bit unhopeful.” Registration is required.

View Dr. Glaude’s presentation.

Wednesday, Jan. 12
Charles Woods
Charles Woods

Food for Thought: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Presentation

11 a.m. – Noon | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center

Food for Thought: Cultural Learning, Sharing and Teaching kicks off the spring semester with a program led by Charles Woods, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute education outreach manager, addressing diversity and inclusion through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s teachings. Participants will learn the importance of creating and contributing to inclusive environments on campus and how to continue advancing Dr. King’s dream within our daily lives. This program will have several giveaways such as scholarships, backpacks and UA swag. Register for this event. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.

Friday, Jan. 14

Realizing the Dream words with Martin Luther King Jr. imageRealizing the Dream Legacy Awards Banquet

6:30 p.m. | Sellers Auditorium, Bryant Conference Center 

The 13th Legacy Awards Banquet will feature attorney, journalist and television personality Star Jones as guest speaker. The event will honor three individuals: the Hon. U.W. Clemon, former U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, will receive the Mountaintop Award; Dr. Nahree Doh, associate director of clinical and outreach services in the UA Counseling Center, will receive the Call to Conscience Award; and Carina Villarreal, a 2020 UA graduate and current UA Social Work graduate student, will receive the Horizon Award. Attire is semiformal. Detailed information is available on the Realizing the Dream website. Tickets are $30 per individual and $125 for a table of 5. For more ticketing information, call 205-348-7111 or email community.affairs@ua.edu.

King in the Wilderness movie posterSocial Justice Movie Series: ‘King in the Wilderness’

7 p.m. | Virtual

The Intercultural Diversity Center begins its Spring 2022 Social Justice Movie Series with “King in the Wilderness: The Final Years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Participants will learn stirring new perspectives into Dr. King’s character, his radical doctrine of nonviolence, and his internal philosophical struggles prior to his death, inviting a sense of penetrating intimacy and insight into one of the most profound thinkers of our time. Registration is required. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.

Sunday, Jan. 16

Realizing the Dream visual of Martin Luther King Jr. and others smilingRealizing the Dream Concert

7:30 p.m. | Moody Music Concert Hall | Tickets: $20

Gospel singer, songwriter, actress and activist Kierra Sheard will be the featured performer for the evening. At age nine Sheard earned a Stellar Award for Best Children’s Performance for “The Will of God.” She honed her skills as a next-generation member of the multi-Grammy Award winning Clark Sisters and launched her professional solo career in 2004.
Detailed information is available on the Realizing the Dream website. For ticketing information, call 205-348-7111 or email community.affairs@ua.edu.

Monday, Jan. 17 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

MLK Day of Service graphicMLK Day of Service: A Day On, Not a Day Off

8 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

In commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, The University of Alabama will host MLK Day of Service: A Day On, Not A Day Off. The Center for Service and Leadership will offer in-person and virtual volunteer options. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center has remained committed to cultivating sustainable, ethical and safe community engagement for students at The University of Alabama while meeting the needs of the Tuscaloosa community. Lunch and transportation will be provided for UA students. Sign up to participate. For more information, contact the UA Center for Service and Leadership at volunteer@ua.edu.

Tuscaloosa Unity Day Activities

Throughout the day

The Tuscaloosa Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference will sponsor the annual Unity Day activities. The Unity Day march will begin at noon at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, 2430 MLK Blvd., Tuscaloosa, and end at Tuscaloosa City Hall. The annual Mass Rally will begin at 5 p.m. at First African Baptist Church, 2621 Stillman Blvd., Tuscaloosa. All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Jan. 18

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Presentation

Noon -1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100  Student Center

The Intercultural Diversity Center will provide a presentation sharing general facts on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, the history behind the commemoration of his holiday, and various ways we can contribute to our surrounding communities. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.

TEDTalk Tuesdays designTEDTalk Tuesday: ‘MLK: The Voice We Need but Do Not Want’

1-2 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center

The Intercultural Diversity Center will kick off its Spring 2022 TEDTalk Tuesday Series with “MLK: The Voice We Need but Do Not Want.” Participants will hear from Gregory Thompson as he explores how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the ultimate symbol for justice and change and why his message of love has been forgotten. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.

Thursday, Feb. 3

Lee Sentell speaks Feb. 3College of Communication and Information Sciences Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Lecture

3:30 p.m. | 118 Graves Hall

The College of Communication and Information Sciences Martin Luther King, Jr., Legacy Lecture will be given by Lee Sentell, Alabama state tourism director and author of the 2021 Official U.S. Civil Rights Trail Book. This book is the product of nearly 15 years of working to inventory and link the U.S. Civil Rights history that spans the South. His book lists historic sites in 15 states and is generating discussion for the ways sites are included, excluded, re-remembered or re-presented in the complex realm of Civil Rights tourism. This event is open to the public; books will be available for purchase and author signing.

Through March 4

Book Drive/Literacy Initiatives for Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School

The UA School of Social Work is accepting children’s books to benefit Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Tuscaloosa. Books can be dropped off at the School of Social Work reception area or purchased from MLK Elementary School’s curated Amazon wish list. Additional service opportunities include joining Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary as a guest reader during Pre-K through 2nd grade library time and during Read Across America Week (Feb. 28 – March 4). Call 205-759-3619 for more information, or check the UA School of Social Work Website for updates.