USU to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. With Weekend Festivities

LOGAN, Utah — Coinciding with the first week of the new semester leading up to the national holiday, Utah State University and the Division of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion will be celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a weekend full of events. USU students, faculty, staff and the local community are welcome to join any and all of the celebration events.

“I am so excited for Utah State University to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an entire weekend's worth of events,” said Cree Taylor, Juneteenth Planning Committee co-chair. “The USU Juneteenth Planning Committee has partnered with Cache Community Connections and the Val R. Christensen Office of Social Action & Sustainability to help the entire Aggie and Cache Valley community celebrate and honor Dr. King's legacy of diversity, equity and inclusion."

The weekend will kick off on Friday evening with a Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church (85 E. 100 North) in Logan. The event is sponsored by Cache Community Connections and is free and open to the public.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, the Daines Concert Hall will host a Juneteenth Fundraiser featuring the musical talents of the Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir. Tickets to the performance are $20 for adults and $10 for children and USU students. All proceeds from the concert will go to the Juneteenth Event Series.

The weekend will culminate in the Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Day of Service, led by the Val R. Christensen Office of Social Action & Sustainability. The day will be full of service opportunities available to all USU and Cache Valley residents throughout the community. For a full list of service opportunities, visit usu.edu/servicecenter/mlk-day.

“Not only will this weekend's worth of events allow us to show up in solidarity to honor the legacy of a man who preached nonviolence and unity as the hope for the future, but it also provides us with an opportunity to serve and uplift each other,” Taylor said. “We are looking forward to celebrating with you and your families.”

The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion promotes USU’s commitment to a diverse, equitable and inclusive institutional culture where everyone feels welcome and valued. The division works to coordinate DEI efforts across the university and also oversees the Inclusion Center, Latinx Cultural Center and Disability Resource Center, as well as the USU Eastern Center for Diversity & Inclusion.