MLK week brings a host of opportunities for Bucknell students, faculty and staff as well as the greater Lewisburg community to learn more and engage with the teachings and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As an international student who never got the opportunity to sit down to learn more about Dr. King, I was glad I got the chance to attend the first program of the eventful week.
To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. day, members of the community were invited to attend a watch/listening of two MLK speeches in their entirety. The event, titled In His Own Words: Noted Speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was held on Monday 1/20 from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Gallery Theatre. The speeches covered were MLK’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance speech, 1964 as well as his Drum Major Instinct speech, 1968. After the viewing, participants were encouraged to discuss their thoughts on the speeches, which led to thought-provoking and important conversation.
The speeches mostly revolved around MLK’s belief in non-violence, peace for humanity, anti-capitalism, the end of classism, and most of all, hope. Our group discussion had many important insights, like how significant it was to hear his speeches in full and not hear or read cherry-picked phrases out of context. While MLK stood on his belief in non-violence, an important talking point was how this doesn’t necessarily translate into inaction. Rather, this call for non-violence was especially directed towards oppressive forces and their refusal to acknowledge the rights and liberties of the marginalized, furthering the divide between Americans.
The event gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for Dr. King and the history surrounding the civil rights movement. It also made me think of hope, and what the future may look like given current events, especially given the irony of MLK day falling on the inauguration of President Donald Trump. One thing is for sure, and that is that there is going to be a great need for community in the next few years, and an even greater need for hope.
The MLK Week Committee meets monthly to discuss theme ideas and plan specific events for MLK Week. At the end of the Spring semester the committee will announce a call for proposals from departments, organizations, clubs, and offices, etc. who would like to develop a workshop, panel, performance, community outreach and/or other creative events around the 2026 theme, which will also be announced. For more information, please email mlkweek@bucknell.edu. The call for events will be announced on the message center and on the MLK Week website – www.bucknell.edu/mlkweek.
If you would like to watch/listen to the speeches, here are their links:
MLK’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (video)
The Drum Major Instinct (audio)