Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Each January, the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons (DISC) partners with campus organizations, departments, and student groups to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and honor ongoing work that upholds his legacy.
A Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration designed to spark conversation and promote solidarity on campus was held from 5 to 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in the Strand Union Building’s Ballroom A at Montana State University.
The free and public event featured visual, interactive exhibits highlighting the values espoused by King, one of the most prominent leaders of the American civil rights movement.
Marquayvion Hughes, student director of diversity and inclusion for the Associated Students of MSU, the student government, emceed the event and encouraged discussion aimed at broadening student ideas about diversity.
“We’re really trying to change the idea people have of diversity – it’s not just about skin tone,” Hughes said. “It includes people who hold different thoughts and opinions. Through discussion we hope people will realize ‘I’m different, but this person is also different.’ Everyone is diverse, even if they don’t think they are, and we can coexist easily.”
Hughes, who is also a former ambassador for MSU’s Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons, or DISC, said the theme ties in with ASMSU’s focus this year on solidarity, a vision championed by DISC as it promotes inclusion and understanding of differences, supports students from underrepresented identity groups and encourages critical thinking about diversity topics.
“This is about Bobcat nation coming together and interacting together,” he said. “We can all stand together in our differences.”
Exhibits included a looping video slideshow, music, posters and an interactive display of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, at which participants were invited to offer their own dreams in writing for inclusion in a future display.
Light refreshments and appetizers were available.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration is a collaboration between DISC, MSU’s Office of Student Engagement and ASMSU.
Montana State University hosted two events on Thursday, Jan. 20, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
Jelani Mahiri, instructor in the MSU Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Letters and Science, delivered a keynote speech at 5 p.m. focused on King’s legacy.
Mahiri has been a visiting professor at MSU since 2009 and is the founding instructor for the university’s introduction to Africana studies course. He also regularly teaches an introduction to anthropology course and a course on knowledge and community. Mahiri has a doctorate in sociocultural anthropology from the University of California-Berkeley.
Following Mahiri’s speech, five Black business leaders who live in the Bozeman area participated in a panel discussion set for 5:45 p.m. Panelists include Meshayla Cox, Destini French, Mikayla Pitts, Atryp and Deaydrah Williams.
Both events were free and open to the public and held in MSU’s Strand Union Building, Ballroom A. Light refreshments served.
Events were hosted by MSU’s TRIO Student Services program, the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons and Bobcat Athletics.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Celebration of Blackness, 2021
On Friday, January 15th, 2021, the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons (DISC), MSU's Black Student Union, African Students Association, and representatives from Bobcat Athletics hosted a virtual day of panels and discussions with MSU campus leaders. The day began with an acknowledgment of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and continued with student panels focused around student-athletes, healthcare, and an interactive African names presentation. The celebration ended with a panel of women, led by the DISC’s Program Manager, from different professions discussing the intersections of their work and identities.
If you missed any of the virtual sessions on MLK Jr Day 2021, please see below:
Celebration Kick-Off and MLK Jr. Tribute:
PJ Diamond, Jessica Brito, and Anaya Paschal
https://montana.techsmithrelay.com/ZJ7K
Black Student-Athlete Experience Panel:
Kyla Bush, Jaharie Martin, and Twila Reovan
https://montana.techsmithrelay.com/1QZ3
Student/Patient Healthcare Experiences Panel:
Lyla Brown, Jamelle Phillips, and Bukola Saliu
https://montana.techsmithrelay.com/cEiC
Interactive African Names Presentation:
Bukola Saliu, David Lartey, and Elijah Adeniyi
https://montana.techsmithrelay.com/x4Qx
Exploring Identities and Professions Panel:
PJ, Jasmine, and Jade Diamond
On Thursday, January 23nd, 2020, the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons hosted Georgetown Professor, Anthony Cook, to give the lecture "King and the Beloved Community: A Critical Approach to Community Development."
If you missed the MSU 2020 MLK Day Lecture, you can view it here online at the following url link or click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzUrQcfN0pA
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9am |
Doors Open SUB Ballroom A |
| 9:30am - 10am | Breakfast |
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10am - 10:30am |
Opening Remarks by the Black Student Union |
| 11am - Noon |
First Session
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12:15pm - 1:15pm |
Second Session
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1pm - 2:15pm |
Lunch |
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2:30pm - 3:30pm |
Third session
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3:45pm - 4:45pm |
Fourth session
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| 6pm | Keynote Speaker: Dr. Godfrey Saunders in SUB Ballroom A |
Tuesday, January 16th
Emerson Cultural Center, Crawford Theater
5:15 Reception
6:00 Program
7:15 Screening of "Oklahoma City" documentary
Opening Reception
Friday, January 20th | 5:00pm-6:30pm
Rockford Coffee | 18 E. Main St.
MLK Art Display
January 20th-30th
Rockford Coffee | 18 E. Main St.
Tuesday, January 19th; 6:30 pm
Emerson Center, Crawford Theater, 111 S. Grand Ave, Bozeman, MT
The 2016 Martin Luther King Day Celebration will feature PechaKucha-style presentations by community members on various aspects of MLK’s legacy, history, and present day implications.
The pecha kucha format is such that speakers show 20 digital images that advance automatically every 20 seconds while the presenter speaks about an idea, story, initiative, or project for 6 minutes and 40 seconds. We have invited speakers from the Bozeman community to present inspirational, thought-provoking, creative, and profound stories related to Martin Luther King Day.
This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Bozeman Martin Luther King Day Organizing Committee (with representatives from the Bozeman Public Library, the Human Resource Development Council, the Pecha Kucha Bozeman Committee, and the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons) and the MSU Leadership Institute.
Questions? Call the Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons at 406.994.5801.
On January 20, 2015, a lecture by Robert Shetterly was held at the Emerson Crawford Theater. Mr. Shetterly is an American artist best known for his portrait series, "Americans Who Tell the Truth," which celebrates citizens who courageously address issues of social, environmental, and economic fairness. In his lecture, Mr. Shetterly shared the portraits and the impacts of individuals who have fought for civil rights. In the story of his own journey to becoming a social justice activist, the audience were inspired to consider how they too can take part in improving their communities and enriching the lives of others.
The 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Day events are sponsored by the Bozeman MLK Day Organizing Committee, Humanities Montana, affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, MSU Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons, MSU Leadership Institute, MSU Office of the President, Bozeman High School, Headwaters Academy, Sacajawea Middle School, Chief Joseph Middle School, Anderson School, Congregation Beth Shalom Social Service Committee, Bozeman Public Library, Montana Human Rights Network, United Methodist Church Social Justice Committee, and the Magpie Guest House.