MLK Day Events

Martin Luther King Jr. Day resonates deeply within the West Virginian community, honoring a leader who championed racial equality and justice. The following events are happening Monday in our local community, and we look forward to celebrating alongside you! Join us as we engage in activities that embody Dr. King’s enduring legacy and spirit of unity.

Community Coalition for Social Justice’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

All are invited to the Community Coalition for Social Justice’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration co-hosted by the West Virginia University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on Monday, January 20th at 2:00 p.m. on Zoom. The celebration is entitled “Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as Remembered by Storytellers in the graphic novel, West Virginians’ Experiences in Civil Rights.” The program will feature interviews with five individuals who worked with Dr. King or were inspired through their contacts with him. Civil rights activist Al Anderson of Osage, West Virginia, heard Dr. King speak at the 1963 March on Washington, and it changed his life. Freedom Rider Joan Browning of Fort Hill, West Virginia, met Dr. King when she was a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Atlanta. Rev. Ronald English was the assistant pastor for Dr. King and his father at Ebeneezer Baptist Church in Atlanta before moving to Charleston, West Virginia, as pastor of First Baptist Church. Morgantown West Virginia, social justice activist Don Spencer was impacted by hearing Dr. King speak at an anti-Vietnam War event in 1968 and, by chance, was on a bus with him on a trip to Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns during that event. WVU alumna Sierra Velez was president of the WVU student NAACP chapter. All are featured in CCSJ’s graphic novel. Al Anderson will also sing.
The registration link is https://bit.ly/41JeSJM. You must register to get the link for the Zoom program.

For more information, please email ccsjwv@gmail.com or go to www.ccsjwv.org.

Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Service 2025

The NAACP Huntington-Cabell Branch and the Marshall University Center for African American Students will host a community service day. People can volunteer to sort and organize donations with a “Fill the Truck” event, clean and organize at the A.D. Lewis Community Center, pack and sort food donations for Facing Hunger Foodbank, or meal prep or clean at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Huntington. Registration and more info about each volunteer opportunity can be found here.

Enlightened Living Days 2025

Each year, the University of Charleston organizes events to promote societal betterment, honoring its mission’s pillar of enlightened living. Highlighting Martin Luther King Jr. Day, key activities include:

• 9:30 – 9:45 AM: Welcome Remarks by President Roth
• 9:45 – 10:00 AM: Introduction with BSU President Jamia Nesmith
• 10:00 – 11:15 AM: Keynote Address by Bunmi Kusimo-Frazier, Esq.

All events take place in Geary Auditorium and are live-streamed, emphasizing civil rights and community leadership in Dr. King’s honor

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2025 Dinner