Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

For 36 years, Michigan Tech has honored and celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—a man who refused to sit idly by while he and others were treated less than, who brought people together to fight for justice and equality. Dr. King is most recognized for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience and as a national icon in the history of American progressivism.

Schedule of Events

The Center for Diversity and Inclusion is proud to announce the 35th Annual MLK Jr Day Celebration on January 20, 2025. Several events are planned leading up to the day and beyond.

Preparation and Beyond

Craft Day Workshop, TBD

Center for Diversity and Inclusion, TBD
The Center for Diversity and Inclusion will host a poster-making session for students to prepare works for display at the Van Pelt and Opie Library exhibit.

Student Art Exhibit, Jan. 13–24

Van Pelt and Opie Library
The Van Pelt and Opie Library will feature an MLK exhibit along the curved wall in the Opie Reading Room. This year, all students are invited to create a digital or physical art poster for display.

Reading Day, Student Service Project

Local elementary schools, TBD
Michigan Tech will support the local elementary school students by reading a MLK book to students around the community.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan 20, '25

MLK Brunch

MUB Ballroom, 10 a.m.
Keynote address by Schwartzen Precil.

Interfaith Prayer Vigil

Van Pelt and Opie Library, Noon
The Van Pelt and Opie Library will host a Prayer Vigil where our religious communities on campus will read excerpts from Dr. King's works.

Prayer Vigil sign-up

Peace March

Husky Statue, 1:00 p.m.

Following the Prayer Vigil, we are inviting the campus community to meet at the Husky statue to gather for a peace march across campus.

 

Watch last year's Banquet Celebration:Live stream on YouTube

Keynote Speaker

 

Schwartzen Precil

As early as 2019, Schwartzen Precil has been recognized for several literary awards. After taking the literary world by storm with his first Young-Adult Non-fiction book “Be Your Own Hero: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities,” the American Best Book Award prized him as one of the top young adult authors at the age of 25. As recently as 2024, he was nominated for the Next Generation 30 under 30 for curriculum development in the social emotional learning field by personsoftheyear.com for his fourth published book “Empower The Hero Within.” Organizations bring in Schwartz for boldly sharing his youth empowerment techniques developed during his AmeriCorp VISTA year of service. He erupted as a community leader that year due to his advocacy for erasing poverty with leading practices that produced healthier outcomes for low opportunity youth and their families.

 

His expertise in leadership development has a mentorship-based approach that focuses on a “train-the-trainer” model where youth serving professionals and programs have implemented the model across the nation. Providing practical solutions to obstacles faced within foster care inspired his first book, “Turning Obstacles into Opportunities” during which he searched and found his long lost family. Schwartz continues to partner with nonprofits and faith based programs that bring healing to marginalized communities.

Bayard Rustin Award

In 2019, NSBE began the tradition of awarding the Bayard Rustin Award to a servant leader on campus during the annual MLK reception. This award honors a servant leader who is often behind the scenes making significant strides and recognizes them publicly for their commitment. Bayard Rustin acted as an influential adviser "behind the scenes" to civil-rights leaders. He worked along Dr. King and helped organize Freedom Rides and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Rustin also served as an organizer for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On November 20, 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Past Recipients