MLK Celebration | Diversity and Inclusion | Western Michigan University

History of the Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Celebration at WMU

For many years, Western Michigan University’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee organized a celebration of Dr. King’s life, work and commitment to social justice. During the ensuing years, several major events and numerous smaller ones have been built into what has become an annual celebration that launches in January each year. The campuswide Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration continues to grow and evolve.

MLK Jr. Day Celebration welcomes Dr. Cornel West

Author, scholar and activist Dr. Cornel West will speak Monday, Jan. 19, during Western's MLK Jr. Day Celebration. His address at 6 p.m. in Miller Auditorium reflects King’s enduring words that “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The free event is sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion with WMU Athletics and the Seita Scholars Program.

West, who ran for president in 2024 as an independent candidate, is recognized for his pointed critiques on politics, race and justice. He has written several books, including “Race Matters” and “Democracy Matters,” and currently holds the Dietrich Bonhoeffer chair at Union Theological Seminary. His academic career includes teaching positions at Harvard, Princeton and Yale. West also gave the 2023-24 Gifford Lectures at The University of Edinburgh, titled “A Jazz-soaked Philosophy for our Catastrophic Times: From Socrates to Coltrane.”

For more information, contact Deanne Puca.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Annual Teach-In

More information can be found Here!