Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Unity Dinner

On Tuesday, January 16, the 44th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Unity Dinner will take place at the Kellogg Center Hotel & Conference Center.

Community was extremely important to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During his short lifetime of 39 years, he came to understand and appreciate the interrelatedness of all humanity. Dr. King would repeatedly say in speeches and writings that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

Dr. Blaire Morseau will be our featured keynote speaker. Blaire Morseau (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Michigan State University where she is also Affiliate Faculty in American Indian and Indigenous Studies. She recently released an edited volume featuring the collection of antique birch bark books written by nineteenth century Potawatomi author Simon Pokagon titled, As Sacred to Us: Simon Pokagon’s Birch Bark Stories in their Contexts, published by MSU Press. Her research interests are in Indigenous science fiction and futurisms, traditional cultural and ecological knowledge, digital heritage, and Native counter-mapping.

In addition to the great food and the ambiance crafted by the amazing Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center staff, there will be Undergrauate and Graduate student keynote remarks, as well as other student performances. There will also be remarks by Dr. Teresa Woodruff, MSU's Interim President, and Dr. Jabbar Bennett, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at MSU.

This is a free event, and pre-registration is required. Seating is limited, and this form will automatically turn off when capacity has been reached. Everyone who makes reservations should receive an email with tickets to the event. If you attempt to register and do not receive an email with tickets, please notify Karen Stowell at kstowell@msu.edu.

To enter the dinner, please bring your printed tickets, or eTickets on your phone. Staff will scan you in near the entrance of the Big 10 Rooms at the Kellogg Center. Coat racks will be available in the Centennial Room, located directly across the hall from the Big 10 Rooms.

Parking is located in the parking structure adjacent to the Kellogg Center. The crosswalk connecting the structure to the hotel is located on the second floor of the parking ramp, which connects to the main floor of hotel. Note: The MSU Parking Division is waiving parking fees in the Kellogg Ramp during this event.

Note: We do not assign specific tables or seats for guests.

The MLK Community Unity Dinner gives everyone the opportunity to donate to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund. Donations are tax deductible, and 100% of your contribution will go toward the scholarship for MSU students who carry on Dr. King's legacy of community engagement and advocacy. Any amount you can donate to the scholarship fund will be greatly appreciated. Donate to: bit.ly/give2msumlk or make checks payable to Michigan State University, donation code AB1018.

We look forward to seeing you there!