OHIO to host Silent March, Brunch, additional events to honor life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ohio University is celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the month of January.

The celebration acknowledges the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with inclusive tributes on the Athens and regional campuses that highlight equality and social justice

This year, OHIO will host a wide range of events for all members of the Ohio University community. The events will include the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Celebratory Brunch, a Silent March, and special presentations.

You can find more information about all of the events here.

MLK Celebration events

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Silent March – Monday, Jan. 19, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Galbreath Chapel on the College Green. The annual march is an opportunity to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s mission and impact. All students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to participate.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebratory Brunch – Monday, Jan. 19, from 10 a.m.  until noon in the Baker University Center Ballroom. The celebratory brunch will feature student and community remarks and performances under this year's theme: “Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way.” The speakers will include Joy Bivens, deputy county administrator for the Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ health and human services agencies, and David Butcher, executive director of the Tablertown People of Color Museum. Tickets are sold out. You can find more information about this event here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service at Ohio University Chillicothe – Monday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is an official day of service and celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to participate in celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a morning of service with several community organizations.

Film Screening: “Ain't No Back to a Merry Go Round” – Monday, Jan. 19, from 1-3 p.m. at the Athena Cinema. This documentary revisits an interracial and interfaith protest against segregation at a community park and merry-go-round in metro DC, helping launch the national Civil Rights Movement of the 60s. You can find more information about the screening and discussion of the film here.

Spring Campus and Community Involvement Fair – Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Charles J. Ping Student Recreation Center. Learn more about how to get involved with the wide variety of service groups, student organizations and clubs at Ohio University.

False Promises: A Conversation with Author Ric Sheffield, JD – Thursday, Jan. 22, from 6-7 p.m. This virtual presentation will feature Ric S. Sheffield, author of “We Got By: A Black Family’s Journey in the Heartland” and “False Promises: The Struggle for Black Voting Rights in 1800s Ohio.” Sheffield has researched, taught, written, and lectured extensively about rural diversity in general, and the Black experience in small town America in particular. You can find more information and register to attend this virtual event here.

Dessert Reception – Friday, Jan. 23, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Baker University Center Front Room. All members of the OHIO community are invited to enjoy hot beverages and baked goods at the reception, which will cap a meaningful week of celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.