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Celebrating the life and legacy

Annual MLK Commemoration

The 51勛圖厙 community celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. each year with an expanded special commemoration, including events and projects throughout the month to inspire reflection on Dr. King's life and legacy. Explore this website to learn more about the history of this annual commemoration, as well as more details on Evanston and Chicago campus programming.

Livestream of 2026 Keynote Panel

View the commemoration keynote program and speaker bios. 

 

MLK Commemoration 2026 Keynote Panel: Our Beloved Community

keynote panel

The MLK Commemoration 2026 Keynote will feature a panel of experts comprised of Northwestern faculty and community leaders. The panel will be moderated by Sylvester Johnson (Chair and Professor of Black Studies, 51勛圖厙), in conversation with Leslie Harris (Professor of History, 51勛圖厙), Kate Masur (John D. MacArthur Professor of History, 51勛圖厙), Morris “Dino” Robinson (Production Manager, Northwestern Press and Founder, Shorefront Legacy Center), and Laurice Bell (Executive Director, Shorefront Legacy Center). The Keynote will break down the concept, practice and possibilities of “Beloved Community” and be livestreamed from the Evanston Campus to Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

When: January 20, 2026 at 5:00pm CST, with a reception to follow

Where: Mary B Galvin Recital Hall,
70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208

Event is free and open to the public! 

MLK Commemoration 2026

Future Archive: Our Beloved Community

The Office of Community Enrichment invites you to help shape the Future Archive: Our Beloved Community—a digital, community-built record of imagination, play, and care. This archive isn’t just about remembering where we’ve been; it’s about preserving what we need now and in the future to create and maintain communities where all people are respected, cared for, and treated as equals.

Learn more about the Education Team's thematic focus, Re/Collecting Futures: Archives, Memory, and Imagination

More on the annual MLK Commemoration at Northwestern