Bucknell University will host MLK Week 2026, commemorating the life and work of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. MLK Week is a series of campus events held from Monday, January 19th through Friday, January 30th, with the theme “The Right Thing is Always the Right Thing.”
This theme is taken from Dr. King’s Commencement Address at Oberlin College on June 14, 1965, “Staying Awakening Through a Great Revolution,” in which he implored his audience to refuse to wait passively for justice and instead embrace the moral urgency of action.
This week’s keynote speeches include: anthony ray hintonThe American activist, author, and author, who spent nearly 30 years on Alabama’s Death Row after being wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast-food restaurant owners in Birmingham, Alabama, will give a free public lecture at 7 p.m., Monday, January 26, in Trout Auditorium, Vaughn Literary Building.
The keynote speaker for MLK 2026 is Anthony Ray Hinton. Photo credit: Rob Riggins
Hinton’s story is a decades-long journey to innocence and freedom that drew national attention to the systemic flaws in the criminal justice system most prominently highlighted in Bryan Stevenson’s book. Just Mercyand by the Equal Justice Initiative. Hinton was sentenced to death by an all-white jury, but his public defender lacked the resources to challenge the state’s case. Hinton spent 28 years on death row before his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 and he was released. Since then, he has become a leading voice for judicial reform and the author of a best-selling memoir. The Sun Shines: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row.
MLK Week programming begins on Monday, Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with events on campus and in downtown Lewisburg. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Bertrand Library will host the “Bucknell Black Heritage: Celebrating 150 Years of Black Excellence, Resilience, and Influence” exhibit in the Lower Level 1 Special Collections exhibit area. Curated by students Gianna DePina ’26 and Atalia Elvis ’26, this exhibit traces the history of Black students at Bucknell University through primary sources, images, and student voices. The exhibit will be on display during library hours until February 28th.
Also on January 19th, campus theater will host a screening of Dr. King’s speech, “Staying Awakening Through the Great Revolution,” recorded on March 31, 1968 at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. The screening will begin at 2 p.m., followed by a moderated discussion exploring the speech’s themes and their relevance today. The event is free and open to the public.
Following the discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to visit the Samek Art Museum Downtown Gallery to view the special opening of “Those We Thought We Knew: Re-Imagining,” an exhibition by artist Marie Cochran that reinterprets David Joy’s novel through the lens of black identity, intergenerational trauma, and cultural memory. The exhibition will run until February 8th.
Additional events include a lecture performance by Stephen Stacks, assistant professor of music at North Carolina Central University, scheduled for noon Friday, Jan. 23, in the Great Room of Hildreth Mirza Hall, examining the continued political power of freedom songs beyond the civil rights era.
Throughout the weekend, music and worship will take center stage, with community workshops led by Song and Social Justice. pastor angela jones on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Luke Chapel, followed by a multifaith memorial service celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 25. The commemoration will feature a reading of Dr. King’s address, congregational hymns, and a reminiscence led by Mr. Stacks and Mr. Jones.
“Exploring Dialogue and Disagreement through the Dignity Quotient” will be held in the Center Room (Room 256) of the Elaine Langone Center on Thursday, January 29th at 7:00 p.m. This interactive workshop, facilitated by Susan Jordan, executive director of Susquehanna Valley Mediation, will provide tools to address disagreements with dignity, building on Dr. King’s belief that justice requires confronting conflict constructively.
The week will conclude with a community lunch on Friday, January 30th in the McDonald Commons Multipurpose Room (Room 104). Lunch hosted by Teaching & Learning Center and Friday Learning Series staff is open to all, but RSVP is required. online (Campus Community) or tlcevents@bucknell.edu.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Bucknell University on April 23, 1958. Since 2016, the University has committed to engaging the campus and broader community in an annual series of events honoring Dr. King’s legacy and its continued relevance.
MLK Week is organized by the MLK Week Committee in collaboration with various campus and community partners. The event is sponsored by the Student Affairs Department. Human resources, culture and human resources department. and Bucknell Student Government Association. Funding for the keynote event is provided in part by the University Lectures Committee.