The Associated Student Government and the Black Students Association at the University of Arkansas invite the campus and community to celebrate and remember the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the annual vigil at noon on Monday, Jan. 16, to be held in the Faulkner Performing Arts Center. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and seating is available on a first come, first served basis. In addition to the vigil, ASG encourages all to view the 2023 MLK Calendar of Events for other events and service opportunities.

This year's vigil will include remarks from students and Chancellor Charles Robinson, a performance by the Inspirational Chorale, and a moderated Q&A with Cornel West, prominent professor, philosopher, author and activist. Questions for West can be submitted here.

West, affectionately known to many as Brother West, is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. West teaches on the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as well as courses in philosophy of religion, African American critical thought, and a wide range of subjects — including but by no means limited to the classics, philosophy, politics, cultural theory, literature and music. He has a passion to communicate to a vast variety of publics in order to keep alive the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a legacy of telling the truth and bearing witness to love and justice.

West is the former professor of the practice of public philosophy at Harvard University and professor emeritus at Princeton University. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton.

He has written 20 books and has edited 13. He is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. His most recent book, Black Prophetic Fire, offers an unflinching look at 19th- and 20th-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies.

An overflow livestream will be available in the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom and can be viewed online.

The Black Students Association serves to promote the educational, moral and cultural awareness among black students at the University of Arkansas. Their goal is to provide a forum from which scholarly decisions are made that promote educational success of minorities in higher education.

The Associated Student Government at the University of Arkansas is a student-led organization that acts as an organized voice for all students and strives to effectively represent student interest.

This event is sponsored by Associated Student Government through the Office of Student Activities and is supported by the Student Activities Fee. For questions or for accommodations due to disability please contact the Office of Student Activities, osa@uark.edu or call 479-575-5255. ASG is a program in the Division of Student Affairs.

About the Division of Student Affairs: The Division of Student Affairs supports students in pursuing knowledge, earning a degree, finding meaningful careers, exploring diversity, and connecting with the global community. We provide students housing, dining, health care resources, and create innovative programs that educate and inspire. We enhance the University of Arkansas experience and help students succeed, one student at a time.