Emory University King Week is a series of programs offered in January by various Emory units to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. Programs include educational lectures, spiritual events, community service projects, celebrations, and exhibits.
This page will be updated as additional information becomes available. Check back in January for new events and final times and locations. For more information, please contact religiouslife@emory.edu.
School of Nursing Community Engagement
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 9:00 A.M.–1:30 P.M., NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS
This event is open to Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing faculty and staff only. For more information and to register, please contact Stella Clarke-Dubose at stella.j.clarke-dubose@emory.edu.
Middle School and High School Debate Tournament Volunteer Judging, Atlanta Urban Debate League
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, HOPEWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, IVY PREP ACADEMY
The Atlanta Urban Debate League (AUDL) of the Center for Civic and Community Engagement will be hosting middle school and high school debate tournaments during King Week and volunteer judges are needed. The 2023–2024 debate topic focuses on US federal policies that address income redistribution through a federal jobs guarantee, expanding Social Security, and/or providing a basic income. No debate experience is necessary—training will take place on the morning of the debate tournaments. Volunteers at these events will be working with minors and will need to complete an online orientation process before volunteering. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks provided. Transportation support is available, if needed.
To volunteer for these and other AUDL events and to access the online orientation process, visit the AUDL page on Emory OPEN. Volunteers will get information about how to access the tournament after signing up. Please contact Christy Bradley, director of the Atlanta Urban Debate League and K–12 Engagement, for additional information.
VISIT THE AUDL EMORY OPEN PAGE
NATIONAL RACIAL DAY OF HEALING: THE JOURNEY TO HEALING FOR ONE EMORY
Tia Brown McNair, Keynote Speaker
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 12:00–2:00 P.M., LOCATION TBD
Tia Brown McNair is a vice president in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and executive director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. She oversees both funded projects and the AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success.
For more information or questions, please contact Sharon Stroye.
Alumni Shaping Atlanta’s Future through Community Engagement
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 12:00–1:00 P.M., ZOOM
Emory Cares presents an inspiring webinar to spotlight Emory University alumni who are making a significant impact on the Atlanta community. In this exclusive session, we’ll delve into the stories of these remarkable individuals, exploring their journeys, achievements, and the transformative influence they’ve had on the local landscape. Engage with our distinguished panelists as they discuss the unique challenges and opportunities encountered while contributing to the growth and well-being of the Atlanta community. Hear firsthand accounts of innovative projects, initiatives, and collaborations that have had a positive and lasting impact on Atlanta. Hosted by Alex Wan, Emory University assistant vice president of community affairs and Atlanta City Council member, Michael Davis 09B, deputy executive director, Atlanta Beltline Partnership, and Ariel Fristoe 98C, Founder and Artistic Director of Out of Hand Theater.
‘The Cost of Inheritance’
Documentary Film and Panel Discussion
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2:00–5:00 P.M., LOCATION TBD
Panelists include Emory faculty Carol Anderson, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of African American Studies; Janeria Easley, assistant professor of African American studies; and Jessica Lynn Stewart, assistant professor of African American studies; Cynthia Spence, co-chair and associate professor of sociology and anthropology, Spelman College, and Spelman College Quarterman-Keller Scholars. More details coming soon, including RSVP information. For more information or questions, please contact Chandra Ford. Sponsored by the Department of African American Studies.
Oxford Campus Celebration of the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 7:30 P.M., OLD CHURCH (1011 WESLEY ST., OXFORD, GA 30054)
This year’s Oxford Campus MLK celebration is a celebration of music, which will feature the community choir, our a cappella group, our chamber ensemble, and a new Oxford group, Soul Collective. There will be greetings and readings interspersed throughout the celebration, including a reading by Tameka Cage Conley, assistant professor of English and creative writing. Sponsored by Oxford Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Free and open to all. For more information about the event, contact Lyn Pace, Oxford College chaplain.
Candler School of Theology: MLKing Worship Service
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 11:05 A.M., CANNON CHAPEL
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, president and publisher of the AME Church Sunday School Union
School of Medicine Community Engagement Champion Awards
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 5:30-6:30 P.M. VIRTUAL/WEBINAR
Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center proudly presents the “Community Engagement Champion Awards” in celebration of MLK Jr. Day. This year, we honor exceptional community partners who are engaged longitudinally with our medical students through the Community Learning and Social Medicine course. Join us in recognizing their invaluable contributions.
‘From Here: MLK, Radical Love, and Social Transformation’
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 6:00–7:15 P.M., EMORY STUDENT CENTER, MULTIPURPOSE ROOM 1
In 1967, as the revolutionary codes of democracy, justice, and liberty came under increasing attack, Dr. King famously asked, “Where do we go from here?” Nearly 60 years later, this question is just as timely. The Emory Conversation Project (ECP) and Volunteer Emory (VE) invite you to participate in a World Cafe-style dialogue using Dr. King’s “Where Do We Go From Here” speech to reconsider and return to radical love as a transformative mode of civic and community engagement. In collaboration with VE’s Social Justice Education Fellows, this dialogue will serve as a deliberative launchpad for Emory Day On. Sponsored by Barkley Forum, Emory Conversation Project, Volunteer Emory, and Social Justice Education Fellows. RSVP link coming soon.
Video Showing and Reflections: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Kingian Nonviolence 365 Initiative’
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 12:00–1:00 P.M., VIRTUAL
Sponsored by the School of Nursing, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory Healthcare, and Winship Cancer Institute. Open to the entire Emory community. For more information, please contact Stella Clarke-Dubose at stella.j.clarke-dubose@emory.edu.
‘King Week Feature Episode’
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 4:30–5:30 P.M., EMORY BLACK STUDENT UNION, COX HALL
Using the tone and environment of Emory’s celebration of King Week, All Black Emory (ABE) presents a panel-based dialogue exploring the civil rights movement through the lens of Black women and the diurnal challenges they faced in maintaining the vitality of their families, the movement, and their intersectional politics. Join ABE for its first-ever live audience filming in the Emory Black Student Union. Sponsored by Barkley Forum, All Black Emory, Emory Center for Women, and Emory Black Student Union.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL BLACK EMORY
Emory’s Day On
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 11:00 A.M.–4:30 P.M.
Emory’s Day On honors the work, legacy, and values of Martin Luther King Jr. As always, we will meet at 11:00 a.m. for our kickoff with food, t-shirts, speeches, and check-in for specific trips. The day concludes with the return of our shuttles around 4:30 p.m. Sign-up opens December 15. Sponsored by the Office of Civic and Community Engagement.
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Breakfast Reception
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 9:30–10:30 A.M.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Breakfast Reception is a gathering for recipients of the Emory University MLK, Jr. Scholarship. Students and alumni will have the opportunity to intellectually engage with each other and celebrate the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Open to current and alumni MLK Jr. Scholars. For more information, please contact the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
‘The Book of James’ Author Talk and Signing
JANUARY 24, LOCATION AND TIME TO COME
Valerie Babb, Andrew Mellon Professor of Humanities in African American Studies and English at Emory, will talk about her book, The Book of James: The Power, Politics, and Passion of LeBron. A book signing follows. Sponsored by Emory University Department of African American Studies. For questions, please contact Chandra Ford at chandra.l.ford@emory.edu.
KING SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE
Carol Henderson, Speaker
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 11 A.M., SERVICE AND LUNCH, CANNON CHAPEL AND BROOKS COMMONS (LIVE AND ZOOM)
Carol E. Henderson, PhD, is vice provost for diversity and inclusion, chief diversity officer, and adviser to the president at Emory University. She is professor emerita of English and Africana studies at the University of Delaware. She is the author and editor of five books, the special issue editor of four journal collections, and has published numerous essays in critical volumes and journals.
Emory Beloved Community is a weekly ecumenical Protestant worship service planned for the campus community that gathers Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in Cannon Chapel during the academic year. All are welcome. For more information, please contact Religious Life.
OFF-CAMPUS MLK JR. DAY PROGRAMMING
As the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and the headquarters of the civil rights movement, the city of Atlanta offers many opportunities to learn and connect with the history of civil rights and ongoing initiatives to continue these efforts. Several institutions to follow include Ebenezer Baptist Church, the MLK Jr. National Historical Park, the King Center, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
PAST KING WEEK EVENTS
Watch videos of some of last year’s events on the 2023 Emory King Week page.
To view the full list of events being offered across Emory’s campus, visit the Emory King Week website.
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