The George Washington University community honored the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Monday with acts of service in the D.C. community.
The annual MLK Day of Service, organized by the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, Multicultural Student Services Center (MSSC) and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is one of the flagship events of King Week, a series of events held Jan. 15-31 commemorating the noted civil rights leader.
King Week events began Friday with the “Message from the Mountaintop” event in Kogan Plaza where students, staff and faculty celebrated Dr. King with readings of his speeches, letters and sermons.
Michael Tapscott, director of the MSSC, said that it is the university’s responsibility to provide an educational experience that reflects the values, principles and character of the nation’s greatest leaders—including Dr. King.
“Dr. King spoke often of ‘the beloved community,’ his vision for a perfect America where all mankind would live and work together as equals. Our students—well-prepared intellectually and culturally competent—are the product of many experiences, and if we do our work well, the foundation of a new beloved community.”
Check out other highlighted events during King Week.
Wednesday, Jan. 20
“The Movement” Screening
Noon, Marvin Center, Betts Theatre
Watch “The Movement: 50 Years of Love and Struggle,” an exploration of the evolution of black culture since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Stories from the Mountaintop
6:30 p.m., Marvin Center, Betts Theatre
This open mic event, featuring GW’s spoken word collective Speakers of the House, offers members of the university community an opportunity to explore the theme “social acceptance” through music, prose, poetry and storytelling.
Thursday, Jan. 21
“Dear White People” Film Screening and Discussion
6 p.m., Marvin Center, Betts Theatre
Watch a screening of the independent film “Dear White People” and participate in a discussion of the campus climate for students of color and how that relates to issues that many students face, including mental health.
Friday, Jan. 22
A Walk to a Dream
Noon, MSSC
Sip warm beverages and participate in a guided historic walk of the monuments in honor of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the modern civil rights era.
Monday, Jan. 25
Provoking Creative Tension, Sustaining Beloved Community: Application of King’s Legacy for Socially Engaged Community Arts
4:30 p.m., The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum
Learn more about the tenets of nonviolence used during the modern civil rights movement and how they will lay a foundation for a community art project on mental health stigma.
Wednesday, Jan. 27
“Hands Up” Ferguson Documentary Screening
7 p.m., Marvin Center, Betts Theatre
GW alumna and Presidential Administrative Fellow Zinhle Essamuah, B.A. ’15, tracks the Black Lives Matter movement from Ferguson, Mo., to Baltimore in a new documentary. Watch her film “Hands Up” and participate in a Q & A and panel discussion with community organizers.
Thursday, Jan. 28
Jews and African-Americans: A Story of Hope
4 p.m., Marvin Center, Betts Theatre
The life of Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, who helped build more than 5,000 schools for black children in the segregated South decades before the modern civil rights movement, is brought to life in the latest project from filmmaker Aviva Kempner.