Baylor and Waco Community to Commemorate MLK Day with Events, Week of Service

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (Jan. 10, 2023) – As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”

Every year, Americans answer this call by coming together on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service – this year on Monday, Jan. 16, to serve their neighborhoods and communities and with events celebrating the life and legacy of the late Civil Rights leader. The Baylor University and Waco communities will join others across the nation to participate in multiple in-person and online events and a weeklong service opportunity honoring Dr. King.

Full details on events and the service opportunity with Baylor Missions, Service & Public Life and Unbound Now Waco are available on the Baylor cultural events website.

2023 MLK Day Waco Community Events

Friday, Jan. 13, 2023

36th Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at noon at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 300 MLK Blvd., Waco, Texas. Individuals may bring a wreath to place at the monument. Seating will be provided.

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023

“Holy Eucharist: Celebrating the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” at 10:15 a.m., hosted online by the Washington National Cathedral.

Racial Reconciliation Sunday Service at 10:30 a.m., hosted by Church Under the Bridge, Interstate 35/S. 5th Street Bridge. Dr. Daniel L. Hill, Ph.D., assistant professor of Christian theology at Truett Seminary, is the guest speaker. Baylor journalism professor Robert Darden will present a portion of the Black Gospel Music Preservation Project. Everyone is welcome.

Monday, Jan. 16, 2023

“Banner for Change” MLK March and Observance, hosted by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Delta Upsilon Zeta Chapter, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Gamma Omicron Sigma Chapter. Gathering will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the walk beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Indian Spring Park, 101 N. University Parks Dr., crossing the Washington Street Bridge down MLK Blvd. A community program and free bag lunch will follow at the Bledsoe Miller Recreation Center, in addition to a community cleanup with the National Women in Agriculture Association. Please consider donating nonperishable food items to support families in need.

37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil at 6 p.m. at Waco Front Porch - Bridge Street Plaza, 200 Bridge Street, Waco, Texas. Please bring a candle. Seating will be available. Contact OGR@baylor.edu for more information.

2023 MLK Day Baylor University Events

Monday, Jan. 16-Friday, Jan. 20, 2023

MLK Week of Service, sponsored by the Office of Missions, Service & Public Life and Unbound Now Waco, which supports survivors and resources the community to fight human trafficking. Baylor Mission is collecting these requested items to create Survivor Care Kits. Contact Bronda Hayes at bronda.hayes@unboundnow.org to select a drop-off time.

Monday, Jan. 16, 2023

Baylor University offices will be closed in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Spring classes begin on Tuesday, Jan. 17. McLane Carillon Recital, 11 a.m. presented in commemoration of MLK Day by University Carillonneur Lynnette Geary on the McLane Carillon in the tower of Pat Neff Hall. Listen from Founders Mall or the covered walkway along Draper Hall. The program of music will feature "[We Shall] Overcome Some Day," "This Little Light of Mine," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Precious Lord" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023

I Have a Dream Tuesday, sponsored by the Department of Multicultural Affairs. Share your dream for your family, community, or the world and tag us on Instagram.

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023

The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Luncheon, sponsored by the Department of Multicultural Affairs. NOTE: Registration for this event is now closed.

Wisdom Wednesday to reflect on some of Dr. King’s most memorable speeches online via the PBS Washington Week website.

Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023

Throwback Thursday, sponsored by the Department of Multicultural Affairs. Join in a reminiscence about MLK Celebrations of the past on Instagram.

Friday, Jan. 20, 2023

King Me!, sponsored by the Department of Multicultural Affairs, featuring MLK-related trivia all day on Instagram.

Special thanks to the following departments: Office of the President, External Affairs, Institutional Events, Multicultural Affairs, Office of Governmental Relations and Aramark Catering. 

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.