King Week

King Week celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. annually from January 15 through January 31. The George Washington University's (GW) faculty, staff, students, and alumni contribute exciting, thought-provoking, historic, and inspiring programming to the community. We strive to honor King's life from early childhood through the spirit of the civil rights movement.

"THE HARMONY OF HOPE"

The 2024 theme delves into the intricate relationship between community, diverse forms of activism, and expressions of solidarity, highlighting the essential truth that hope thrives within the embrace of community, and community thrives through its people.

United, we embark on a journey of communal hope, where justice is not a distant ideal but a vital necessity for life. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of dispelling racial prejudice and misunderstanding, we aspire to create a brighter future.

Join us in King Week 2024 as we honor his legacy and explore the transformative power of community, activism, and solidarity.

“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not-too-distant tomorrow, the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

King Week 2024 Events

Persons hold hands as Civil Rights Activist March

About the Theme:

The Harmony of Hope

This year's theme delves into the intricate relationship between community, diverse forms of activism, and expressions of solidarity, highlighting the essential truth that hope thrives within the embrace of community, and community thrives through its people.

Join us in King Week 2024 as we honor his legacy and explore the transformative power of community, activism, and solidarity.

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Full Calendar of Events

MONDAY, JAN 15 - WEDNESDAY, JAN 31

Stones of Hope: A Testament of Community

MSSC Gallery
9:00am - 7:00pm EST

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pivotal in shaping the Civil Rights Movement. His tireless work and advocacy were instrumental in making the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act a reality. However, Dr. King's rise to prominence was not a solitary journey, as the success of the Civil Rights Movement relied on numerous lesser-known individuals whose contributions often go overlooked. Throughout January, we invite you to explore the MSSC's Gallery to discover more about these unsung heroes, whom we refer to as "Stones of Hope."

Presented by the Multicultural Student Services Center

MONDAY, JAN 15

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking to a crowd

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: Day of Service and Leadership

Lisner Auditorium
11:00am - 4:00pm EST

Dr. King recognized the power of service. He famously said, "Everyone can be great because everybody can serve." GW’s MLK Day of Service and Leadership is a day to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through a day of service, workshops, and reflection.

This day of service is a unique opportunity for hundreds of GW students, faculty, staff, alumni, and DC community members to strengthen their service values, create positive and impactful contributions to our communities, and commit to continuing acts of service as exemplified by Dr. King.

Schedule At-A-Glance

10:00 am - 10:45am: Check In
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Opening Program & Keynote
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm: Lunch & Travel to Site
12:45 pm – 3:45 pm: Service
3:45 pm – 4:00 pm: Reflection & Closing Out

Visit the MLK Day of Service and Leadership page to learn more.

Presented by The Honey Nashman Center for Civic Engagement

TUESDAY, JAN 16

The 8th Annual SMHS Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week Lecture Series

"Advancing the Dream: From Dream to Reality – The Journey Continues."

Ross Hall 117
12:00 - 1:30pm EST

*Zoom options available upon request

This event will be recorded

Registration Link: https://go.gwu.edu/SMHSMLK2024

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Italo M. Brown, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine; Health Equity & Social Justice Curriculum Thread Lead, Stanford University School of Medicine

Italo M. Brown, MD MPH is a Board-certified Emergency Physician, an Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine, and Health Equity & Social Justice Curriculum Thread Lead at Stanford University School of Medicine. Throughout his career, Italo has been at the frontlines of social medicine and health equity. Italo is the current Chief Impact Officer of T.R.A.P. Medicine, a barbershop-based wellness initiative that leverages the cultural capital of barbershops to address the physical and emotional health of Black men and boys. He is a former board member of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, an organization that spearheads statewide advocacy efforts in support of the Affordable Care Act and Medicare/Medicaid Reform. Italo trained at Jacobi Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center, two Bronx Hospitals ranked among the top 20 busiest ERs in the country. In 2017, the National Minority Quality Forum named Italo among the 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health. An avid writer, Italo served with the ABC News Medical Unit, and has contributed health equity & wellness commentary to The New York Times, NPR, USA Today, GQ, Men's Fitness, and Bloomberg. Recently, Italo was selected to be among clinician leaders in access to care for the recurring Health Equity Leaders Roundtable, a new initiative by the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Presented by The SMHS Office of Diversity and Inclusion

WEDNESDAY, JAN 17

Rustin: Film Screening and Discussion

University Student Center Amphitheater

6:00pm EST

Rustin is a critically acclaimed film by director George C. Wolfe, starring Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin. Architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Rustin challenged authority and never apologized for who he was, but was forgotten despite making history. Rustin spotlights the man who, alongside Martin Luther King Jr., dared to imagine a different world and inspired a movement. The film features an all-star cast including Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald.

Food provided

Please RSVP by January 15, 2024

Presented by the Multicultural Student Services Center & LGBTQIA+ Resource Center

THURSDAY, JAN 18

Lunch & Learn: Speaking Truth with Love and Effectiveness

MSSC Multipurpose Room

12:00 - 1:30pm EST

Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) is an Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European lineages. Her messages focus on Indigenous rights, supporting youth, traditional land stewardship practices, and healing inter-generational and inter-cultural trauma.

She blends her study of Human Ecology at Stanford, graduate work in Indigenous Pedagogy, and the traditional worldview she grew up with to inform her music, perspectives, and solutions. Her doctoral research focused on the ways in which pre-colonial Indigenous Nations shaped large regions of Turtle Island (aka the Americas) to produce abundant food systems for humans and non-humans.

Presented by the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Department of Human and Organizational Learning, and the Multicultural Student Services Center

Please RSVP by Wednesday, January 17

Lunch provided.

Awakening Knowledge of Self: Don’t Sleep During the Revolution

MSSC Multipurpose Room

6:00 - 8:00pm EST

This poetic lecture explores the relationship between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of remaining awake during a great revolution and the fifth element of Hip-Hop culture: “knowledge of self”. In part performance and part presentation, Dr. Keith invites us to 1) reflect on our individual intersecting identities and how they function as assets within the discourse about social justice; 2) explore our individual approaches to leadership from a poetry and spoken word perspective; and 3) practice how to speak and write words of liberation. Join us in an interactive creative writing activity with opportunities to share work in small groups and/or through a simulated open mic.

Presented by the Multicultural Student Services Center & the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement

Facilitated by Dr. Tony Keith of Ed Emcee Academy

Please RSVP by Wednesday, January 17.

Food provided.

FRIDAY, JAN 19

Art at the Center: An Interactive Experience

MSSC Gallery
12:00 - 4:00pm EST

Join us in co-creating an interactive art installation that captures the essence of 'The Harmony of Hope: Art and Activism in the Shaping of King and the Civil Rights Movement' during King Week. Come to the MSSC and make your mark on this significant art piece, which will take center stage for the entire month. No prior art experience is necessary; everyone is welcome to participate.

Artist: Tyler Lackey

Tyler Andrew Lackey, a Tennessee-born social practice artist, passionately celebrates and advocates for Blackness through his creative expression. As a musician, Tyler crafts unique soundscapes using saxophone, piano, flute, percussion, vocals, and guitar, employing looping and DJ mixing techniques. He transforms performance and interaction into a collaborative, exploratory space, challenging the conventional views of entertainers.

In visual arts, Tyler explores mixed media, photography, and installations to delve into themes of Blackness, racism, Afrofuturism, urbanism, and globalism. His work invites viewers to see themselves within the works, engaging with intention, contexts, and experience. Central to his practice is a commitment to challenging audiences to examine their relationship with whiteness and its constraints on Blackness.

Presented by the Multicultural Student Services Center

Please RSVP by Thursday, January 17

Food provided.

TUESDAY, JAN 30

The 4th Annual GSEHD MLK Lecture

"There's Power in Representation": Stories of Disabled Teachers

VIRTUAL EVENT

12:00 - 1:15pm EST

The 4th Annual GSEHD Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture, titled "There's Power in Representation: Stories of Disabled Teachers," will feature a presentation by Dr. Elisabeth Kutscher. Additionally, Dr. Elisabeth Rice (Lisa), an associate professor within the Department of Special Education and Disability Studies at The Graduate School of Education and Human Development, will respond.

About the Lecturer

Dr. Elisabeth Kutscher is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and Disability Studies. Her research focuses on cultivating inclusive educational spaces that recognize disability as a dimension of human diversity, using a Critical Disability Studies lens. She values the application of qualitative and mixed methods approaches to understand multifaceted educational experiences.

Dr. Kutscher is currently co-leading a study funded by the Johnson Scholarship Foundation to understand how colleges prepare students with disabilities for employment. Other projects include an investigation of how teachers with disabilities contribute to a diverse teacher workforce and collaborations with researchers in Trinidad and Tobago to understand experiences related to education and disability. She is active within the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) and the Mixed Methods International Research Association (MMIRA).

Prior to moving to the DC area, Dr. Kutscher was a special education teacher and assistant principal in New York City.

About the Respondent

Dr. Rice is an associate professor of special education in the Department of Special Education and Disability Studies at the George Washington University and has been on faculty since 2001.

A former classroom teacher of students with a variety of learning and emotional challenges, Dr. Rice has served as a principal investigator on local and federal personnel training grants and coordinates a master’s degree program for special education teachers as well as the doctoral program in special education.

Her current research interests and publications focus on girls with emotional behavioral challenges, school/university partnerships and effective interventions for students with social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties.

Click Here to Learn More

Poster of Events

The flyer is also available in PDF form by clicking this text.