ASU to celebrate life, legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Arizona State University will host the 28th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration this January across all four campuses. The weeklong events are a tribute to the life and legacy of King, who dedicated his time to civil service and leadership.

This year’s theme of “Preserve and Transcend” will reflect the great leader’s vision for holding fast to justice and equality, while expanding in areas such as sustainability and entrepreneurship.

“Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has always been important to ASU,” said Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, MLK committee chair. “While the ASU MLK committee does a series of activities in January to honor Dr. King, we as a university honor his legacy all year round with our commitment to creating community, sustainability and technologies to make the world a better place.”

The public will get the chance to listen to a recreation of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on West at 11 a.m., Jan. 24, at ASU’s West campus. Interactive educational presentations before and after the March on West will help students understand the significance of Martin Luther King's impact on our nation's history and in our lives.

The annual MLK Day of Service is set to take place Jan. 21. Although a university holiday, members of the community are encouraged to volunteer their time to help those in need. Visit volunteer.asu.edu for more information.

On Jan. 23 the 2013 MLK Servant Leadership award recipients will be presented with their awards of service at the annual breakfast celebration, scheduled to take place from 7 to 9 a.m., at the Polytechnic campus. This year’s winners are Antonio Bustamante, a local civil rights activist and lawyer, and Megan Salisbury, a student in the School of Social Work, who will be honored for her work with homeless veteran and LGBT populations. Winners of the poster and essay contests also will be recognized at the breakfast.

The MLK Student Rally will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jan. 24, at the Memorial Union North Stage on the Tempe campus. Enjoy a brief talk from Salisbury as well as presentations and cultural performances by other ASU students.

For more information, visit asu.edu/mlk.