Community Leaders, U of A Students, Join for MLK Day Events

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Several days of events are scheduled as part of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Fayetteville and on the University of Arkansas campus.

The Northwest Arkansas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Council will hold a community service project from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club. This event is co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service will be held at the St. James Missionary Baptist Church on 764 W. North St. in Fayetteville. Todd Kitchen, vice president for student affairs at NorthWest Arkansas Community College will be the featured speaker. This event is also co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

The official Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Monday, Jan. 21, will begin with the annual MLK Dream Keepers’ Youth Prayer Breakfast at 8 a.m. in the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

At 9:30 a.m. the council will co-sponsor the MLK Dream Keepers’ Youth Activity along with U of A Intramural Sports and Intercollegiate Athletics at the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building.

The annual MLK Freedom March will start at 11:15 a.m. at the corner of MLK Boulevard and Razorback Road, with marchers gathering in U of A parking lot 56. The march will proceed to the Arkansas Union. In the event of bad weather the march will be moved to the Verizon Ballroom on the fifth floor of the Arkansas Union.

Following the march, the U of A Associated Student Government and Black Student Association will hold their annual Noon Vigil in the Verizon Ballroom. Like the march, the vigil is free and open to the public.

This year’s vigil will feature a performance by the Inspirational Chorale, as well as  speakers including Angela Mosley Monts, assistant vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at the U of A and president of the Northwest Arkansas Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Council. Several students will also speak at the vigil.

The day’s celebration ends with the council’s 23rd annual MLK Recommitment Banquet at 7 p.m. at the Fayetteville Town Center. The University of Arkansas serves as executive producer of this event.