Campus Events Will Commemorate Martin Luther King Day

University offices will be closed and there will be no classes on Monday, Jan. 16, in observance of Martin Luther King Day, however, there are a number of events open to students, faculty and staff to celebrate and honor King’s work. The activities kick off this Friday.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will host the Martin Luther King Celebration Luncheon this Friday, Jan. 13, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Africa Room that will include student remarks, prayer led by some campus Spiritans and keynote remarks from Don Charlton.

Don Charlton

Charlton is the founder of JazzHR (formerly known as The Resumator), a leader in server message block (SMB)-focused, software-as-a-service (SaaS) recruiting solutions. A graphic designer turned software engineer, Charlton is also an entrepreneur, startup evangelist, writer and speaker who is widely regarded as a thought leader in the recruiting software industry. He has been profiled in The New York Times and named as one of the 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Technology by Business Insider.

To register for the Martin Luther King Celebration Luncheon, email satterwhitea@duq.edu or visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in Room 106 of the Union.

The annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Prayer Breakfast, hosted by the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Homer S. Brown Division, will be held at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 16, at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church located at 2001 Wylie Ave. in Pittsburgh.

Rev. Glenn G. Grayson

The breakfast, which commemorates King’s contributions to changes in law and social justice, will also include the presentation of the 2017 Drum Major for Justice Award to this year’s recipient, the Rev. Glenn G. Grayson, pastor of Wesley Center AME Zion Church. The University is coordinating travel to and from the event. Visit the breakfast website for more information and to RSVP for this free public event.

Also on Jan. 16, the MLK Day Sports Challenge, which features a 3-on-3 basketball and volleyball tournament, will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Power Center. T-shirts and prizes will be awarded.

“We are pleased by the evolution in our programs as it relates to recognizing and reflecting on the legacy of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Jeff Mallory, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “We also look forward to seeing our fellow community members join in the day’s offerings.”