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University of Virginia and area community organizations are offering a variety of events as part of this year’s recognition of the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

While the federal holiday will be observed Monday, UVA and community partners will hold events beginning Sunday and continuing through Jan. 31.

“Partnering with various groups and the community amplifies the impact of the annual Community MLK Celebration,” said Meghan Faulkner, chief of staff at UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “It brings diverse perspectives, expertise and experiences to the table, enriching the dialogue and ensuring a more comprehensive approach to the planning efforts. We hope that bringing together this diverse group helps to generate positive change, both on and off Grounds.”

"University of Virginia and local community members have the opportunity to attend a range of events over the latter half of January that will focus on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Among those expected to appear are retired Virginia Supreme Court Justice John Charles Thomas and keynote speaker Yaba Blay, whose commentary and activism focus on Black culture. There also will be several panel discussions on current topics related to race.

"UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion oversees the annual Community MLK Celebration program, and this year’s theme is “Celebrating the Dream, Continuing the Journey.” Because UVA observes Monday’s federal holiday and the semester doesn’t begin until Wednesday, events will take place over the following two weeks." (

Scholar-activist Dr. Yaba Blay will deliver the 2023 Community MLK Celebration keynote address on January 26, 2023 at 6 pm. 

This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets are available here.

This event is presented by the UVA Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; UVA Health Diversity and Community Engagement; the UVA School of Data Science; and UVA Lifetime Learning in the Office of Engagement.

"Why We Can’t Wait,” the title of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s third book, will serve as the theme of the University of Virginia’s 2022 Community MLK Celebration.

“Dr. King’s message in ‘Why We Can’t Wait’ rings just as true today as it did in 1964,” Kevin McDonald, UVA’s vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and community partnerships, wrote in an email. “As we enter another year of a pandemic that continues to profoundly impact the world and exacerbate the stark disparities in our society, it’s important to remember that we can’t sit idly by. In fact, there’s no better time than the present to be actively engaged in transformational efforts.

This January, UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in partnership with the Community MLK Celebration Planning Committee will provide donations to local non-profit organizations in the Charlottesville-Albemarle community. In the early stages of its planning, the committee determined that in light of all of the difficulties those in the local community have faced over the course of the pandemic, it wished to redirect funding typically reserved to host the annual keynote event toward local agencies who are making a difference and providing relief to those who need it most.

A subcommittee worked during fall of 2020 to identify six local Charlottesville-Albemarle non-profit organizations that are making significant and immediate positive impacts in the community. These organizations target the areas of food insecurity, rent relief, and education:

• Loaves & Fishes

• Legal Aid Justice Center

• Piedmont Housing Alliance

• City of Promise

• International Neighbors

• African American Teaching Fellows

The 2021 Community MLK Celebration will take place virtually January 18-29 with an array of virtual events.  Visit mlk.virginia.edu to view the full schedule.

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” could easily be written about our divided nation today, but it’s the title of a book Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. published more than 50 years ago.

Taking the title of King’s 1967 book as the theme of the 2021 Community MLK Celebration, the University of Virginia’s Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is planning a series of virtual events Jan. 18 through 31.

Author and cultural critic Roxane Gay will be the keynote speaker for the 2020 Community MLK Celebration in January.

The Community MLK Celebration keynote event will be held on January 23rd, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theater. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will become available through the Paramount Theater box office (http://www.theparamount.net/) on December 6th, 2019. at 10 a.m.

The event is presented by the University of Virginia Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in partnership with the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy; Lifetime Learning in the Office of Engagement; the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost; the Vice Provost for the Arts; the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality; the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center; the School of Data Science; and the Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer.

Author and cultural critic Roxane Gay will be the keynote speaker for the 2020 Community MLK Celebration in January.

The Community MLK Celebration keynote event will be held on January 23rd, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theater. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will become available through the Paramount Theater box office on December 6th, 2019. at 10 a.m.

The event is presented by the University of Virginia Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, in partnership with the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy; Lifetime Learning in the Office of Engagement; the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost; the Vice Provost for the Arts; the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality; the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center; the School of Data Science; and the Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer.

Journalist April Ryan responded warmly to the enthusiastic crowd who not only came out on a freezing night Wednesday to hear her remarks at the Paramount Theater, but gave her a standing ovation as she took the stage as the keynote speaker for the 2019 Community Martin Luther King Celebration.

“That warms my heart on this cold night,” she said.

Ryan, who said she prefers to describe herself as a White House correspondent who is also a black woman, joked and chatted with members of the audience as she eschewed the lectern to stroll back and forth across the stage. In a conversational style, she touched on a range of topics from the August 2017 “Unite the Right” rallies in Charlottesville to the legacies of King and black women in American history.

White House Correspondent April Ryan will be the keynote speaker for the 2019 Community MLK Celebration in January.

Ryan's address is set for Wednesday, January 30th, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theater. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Ticket reservations may be made through the Paramount Theater box office: http://www.theparamount.net/event/2019-community-mlk-celebration-keynote-speaker-april-ryan/

The event is presented by the University of Virginia Office of the Vice President and Chief Officer for Diversity & Equity, in partnership with the Frank M. Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Lifetime Learning in the Office of Engagement.