The stage is set for the 2021 Georgia Tech Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and commemorative event series. From Jan. 11 – 26, the campus community and public are invited to a dozen mostly virtual events, including the Institute’s 10th annual MLK lecture featuring Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and creator of the New York Times Magazine’s landmark “The 1619 Project.”

The annual series is sponsored by Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (IDEI) and the Division of Student Life. Many of the events are in collaboration with Atlanta’s Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”), a resource center and community institution established in 1968 by King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, shortly after his assassination.

“I am thrilled with our longstanding partnership with Georgia Tech,” said Barbara Harrison, director of The King Center’s External Affairs, Strategic Partnerships, and Programs. “Together, we have established a learning environment at Georgia Tech that is designed to create a better understanding of Dr. King's nonviolence philosophy and methodology for a younger generation of critical thinkers. I look forward to these students making profound advancements as they address social justice concerns and become influential global leaders. This is a testament to our efforts over the years.” 

“As a result of our collaborations with The King Center, we have given the students at Georgia Tech the rare opportunity to witness and experience, in person, the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church’s Annual Commemorative Service honoring Dr. King,” added Archie Ervin, vice president for IDEI and MLK event series planning committee chair. “We are thankful that our students are able to witness this and other events that are part of the series each year.”

Other events include Tech’s annual MLK Day of Service on Jan. 18, the MLK Student Celebration on Jan. 21, and a weekslong exploration of His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, a biography of the late Georgia congressman, civil rights titan, and King advisor and confidant.

“I am honored to serve as co-chair for the MLK celebration planning committee and am pleased that we have organized a stellar lineup of programs and activities for the Institute and beyond, despite Covid-19 restrictions,” said Stephanie Ray, associate dean of students and director of Student Diversity Programs. “Since many of the events are virtual, I encourage members of the Tech community to participate in as many of the opportunities as possible. The 2021 theme, ‘The Fierce Urgency of Building the Beloved Community,’ is a timely topic.”

In addition to Ervin, Harrison, and Ray, 2021 MLK celebration and commemorative planning committee members include: Tamara Ballou, Etienne Batiste, Sirocus Barnes, Jorge Breton, Jeremy Brown, Donald Bullock (The King Center), Christopher Burke, Courtney Hill, Peyton Kliewer, Keona Lewis, Travis Liggins, Tabitha Lowe, Marina Martin, Stephanie Merrick, S. Gordon Moore Jr., Sherry Murray, Sarah Strohmenger, Sara Warner, and Bill Winders.

To learn more about the event series, visit: diversity.gatech.edu/mlk-celebration.