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Honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

January 12, 2022

MLK illustration

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl,
but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
 – The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

On Monday, Jan. 17, Roanoke College will join in the national observance of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The day will celebrate a man who dedicated his life to the nonviolent struggle for the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

It is a day to reflect on Dr. King’s dream for equality, fairness and human decency; to learn of his contributions to the civil rights movement; and to hear impassioned words that resonate as powerfully today as they did more than 60 years ago.

“Not Waiting for the World to Change: Lessons and Leadership from Martin Luther King Jr.” will be a day of reflection, education and celebration. Activities will include:

  • CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER: Morning Walk of Reflection, initially scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in front of Administration Building. Other events, listed below, will continue as planned.

  • “Not Waiting for the World to Change: Lessons and Leadership from Martin Luther King Jr.”, a virtual evening program featuring keynote speaker Dr. Dwight C. Jones, senior pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of South Richmond and former mayor of Richmond, Virginia. Location: Virtual. Time: 6:45 p.m. Registration is required.
  • At any time throughout the day, Roanoke College’s Fintel Library invites you to:
        1.  Listen to the “I Have a Dream” speech, which Dr. King delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
        2.  Hear “What is Your Life’s Blueprint?”, Dr. King’s address to students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on Oct. 26, 1967.
        3. Visit the library’s virtual book display, with selected resources for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
        4. Visit the library to view the physical display of resources on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For more information, please contact Director of Multicultural Affairs Natasha Saunders at nsaunders@roanoke.edu.