MLK Jr. Celebration Week stresses ‘The Time Is Now’
Carolina honors King’s legacy with events celebrating service, community and unity.
UNC-Chapel Hill reminds us that that time is always right to do what’s right during a series of events and engagement opportunities honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
The 2024 MLK Jr. Celebration Week, which honors the civil rights leader’s bridge-building legacy, kicks off Jan. 14 and includes events that highlight the intersectionality of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. The events are designed to bring the Carolina community together in celebration of this year’s theme, “The Time Is Now.”
The MLK Jr. week of celebration is co-led by the MLK Jr. Student Planning Committee, comprised of representatives from Carolina Union Activity Board, Student Life and Leadership, various student organizations and the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
Community Celebration
The week kicks off with the MLK Jr. Community Celebration at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at the UNC Friday Center.
The Honorable Beverly Scarlett, a former North Carolina district court judge, will deliver the keynote address. Scarlett was the first Black female to be named a district court judge in Orange County.
The MLK/Edith Wiggins Scholarship and the Bridge Builders and MLK Jr. Citizenship Awards will also be presented.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with coffee and dessert. The event is free and open to the public.
Lecture and Awards Ceremony
See performances and entertainment from student organizations and hear keynote speaker Michelle Alexander at the Lecture & Awards Ceremony at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 in Memorial Hall. Alexander’s acclaimed bestseller, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” peels back the curtain on systemic racism in the American prison system.
During the ceremony, the University will award the MLK Jr. and Harvey Beech Scholarships, along with the MLK Jr. Unsung Hero Awards. The event is free and open to the public.
Day of Service
The MLK Jr. Day of Service Project celebrates King’s legacy of civic engagement and service. Members of the Carolina community are encouraged to support a food drive for Carolina Cupboard. Participants should bring nonperishable items and/or toiletries to the Hoops for Hunger Basketball Tournament, to be held 1-4 p.m. Jan. 15 at Woollen Gym.
The first 20 people to bring five items will receive a Day of Service T-shirt and free entry to the tournament. Participants are also eligible for door prizes.
Unity Event
The MLK Jr. Unity Event & Showcase of the Arts wraps up the week and is a chance to recognize, appreciate and support the cultures, backgrounds and identities that define Carolina. It takes place 6-8 p.m. Jan. 19 in the Great Hall of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union.
