January 12, 2024
Dear 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Community:
Each January, our country commemorates the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the foremost leaders in the civil rights movement, Dr. King led by example, teaching and inspiring others to dream big, believing that the world in which we live tomorrow can be a world different than the one we lived in yesterday.
The legacy of Dr. King lives on in all those who fundamentally believe in the goodness of others, honoring our differences, and working together to fight injustice – particularly in our own community. May we never forget how, through peaceful activism and nonviolent resistance, Dr. King brought people together, inspired hope, and enjoined everyone to embrace “the fierce urgency of now.” “Now,” he said, in his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, “is the time to make justice a reality for all God’s children.”
So let us make the annual commemoration of the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a living celebration – a day “on” and not a “day off.” There are many ways to celebrate the work of Dr. King and his legacy on campus and in our broader Spokane community:
Sunday, January 14
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Commemoration Service and Celebration
Holy Temple Church of God in Christ (806 W. Indiana Ave., Spokane, WA 99205)
Monday, January 15
“Learn From Our Past to Move Forward”: MLK Day Annual Unity Rally and March, Teach-In and Resource Fair
9:00 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. | Create Signs
UMEC, Hemmingson Center Room 215
9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Travel to Spokane Convention Center
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | Unity Rally and March
Spokane Convention Center (334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | MLK Teach In and Resource Fair
Spokane Convention Center (334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201)
Tuesday, January 16
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Black History 101 Mobile Museum
Hemmingson Center 1st Floor
Wednesday, January 17
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Dr. King Commemorative Mass
University Chapel
Thursday, January 18
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Race Reconciliation Film Screening & Dialogue
Hemmingson Center Auditorium
(For additional opportunities to engage, visit ).
This Monday, let us reaffirm our own commitment to social justice, recognizing that while each of us is only one person, we can bring about significant change for others – even just one other. May we celebrate the ways in which we honor one another, respecting our differences and building upon our shared commitment to caring for each other in this beloved community of belonging.
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sincerely yours,
Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil.
President