“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin by but the content of their character.” - Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., August 28th, 1963.Civil rights activist Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. is perhaps best known for his famous speech “I Have a Dream”, delivered in front of over 250,000 supporters of the African-American Civil Rights Movement from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Credited for advancing the civil rights movement using nonviolence, he is often used as a symbol for service, freedom, justice, and hope.On February 10, 1961, Dr. King delivered a speech in the NYU Washington Square campus titled “The Future of Integration”, which emphasized the need to actively seek human and social progress: “every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” To continue this conversation on justice, NYU has, since 2006, annually celebrated MLK week, a week dedicated to events that promote service, diversity, and action for positive change. This year NYU celebrated its 11th MLK Week, centered around the theme “There Comes A Time…”, from 1st to 6th February, 2016, drawing participation from hundreds of students and involving several on-campus organizations including the Black Student Union and the African Heritage Month Committee. A diverse collection of events aimed at honoring Dr. King’s vision and dream were held throughout the week. The week started on February 1st with a public, guided meditation titled “MLK Monday Sit”, as well as the “Afro-Elegance: A Night of Unity” ball. Other important programs throughout the week included “Speakers on the Square: A Conversation with Janet Mock, Writer, Cultural Commentator, and Advocate for Trans Women’s Rights”, Open Faith Zone Training, “Going Global: Students of Colour Abroad”, and “The Meeting”, a performance directed by Eric Coleman depicting a fictional account of a secret meeting with Malcolm X and Dr.Martin Luther King. Saturday, February 6th saw several community service projects throughout the day, to celebrate NYU’s MLK Day of Service. The highlight of the week, the NYU MLK Week University-Wide Event, was held on Thursday, February 4th, featuring interviews with several special guests including ballet dancer Misty Copeland, journalist and TV personality TJ Holmes, actress Karyn Parsons, and civil rights activist Linda Sarsour. NYU President Andrew Hamilton, who assumed office in January 2016, delivered his first university-wide speech at this event, acknowledging that “NYU’s student body now has no ethnic majority.”On February 2nd, NYU recognized and presented the 2015-2016 MLK Faculty Award to five faculty members representing five different NYU schools; the award is presented to members of the faculty that spread the message of Martin Luther King inside and beyond the classroom, contributing to positive change. On February 4th, the NYU Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award was presented to Jennifer Jones Austin, recognized as a humanitarian within the NYU community who embodies the characteristics promoted by Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. Austin is the CEO and Executive Director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and a graduate of the NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. This year, the annual NYU Steinhardt MLK Oratorical Contest was won by Bayo Fagbamila. NYU’s MLK Week, hosted at the beginning of February every year since its creation, is a great way to start Black History Month, an annual celebration of the important people and events that have shaped the history and progress of black Americans. An event that originated in 1926 as “Negro History Week” and slowly evolved to become “Black History Month” in 1976, it is celebrated in America in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. This year’s Black History Month comes in time to reinforce the need of all organizations, including colleges and schools, to stand in solidarity and combat issues related to racism, given last year’s protests and the issue of racial tension on college campuses across the United States. To continue to promote conversation about justice, tolerance, and social progress, NYU will continue to hold several events even after MLK week, including “You Believe What?! Turning Disagreements into Inclusive Discussions” with activist Irshad Manji on February 8th; “#TechSoWhite”, a film screening and panel discussion on inequalities in the U.S. education system, on February 11th; and the Black Solidarity Conference, hosted by NYU’s Black Student Union, on February 20th. Also be sure to look out for NYU Shanghai events during the week of February 15-20, hosted by Monroe France, the Assistant Vice President for Student Diversity at New York University. Links for additional information:

Watch a livestream of the NYU MLK Week University-Wide Event here.

View NYU’s official 2016 MLK Week Press Release by NYU MLK Week Chair, Monroe France, here.

View the calendar of events during and after MLK week here.

Further information and updates on NYU’s MLK Week can be found on the NYU website as well as the event’s Facebook and Twitter.

Read more about how NYU celebrates Black History Month here.

This article was written by Lathika Chandra Mouli. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Item 137022, Fleets and Facilities Department Imagebank Collection (Record Series 0207-01), Seattle Municipal Archives via Flickr.