From: Office of Institutional Diversity
Dear Oregon State community members:
The Office of Institutional Diversity is honored to host the 43rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration at Oregon State University.
The Commemoration will open on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 with the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Breakfast and March, and close with the Commemoration keynote address on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Below, we share information about the Commemoration keynote speaker, invite your submissions for events, and provide details about this year’s Peace Breakfast.
Scholar Ruha Benjamin is the 2025 keynote speaker
Ruha Benjamin will serve as this year’s Commemoration keynote speaker. Dr. Benjamin is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and a 2024 MacArthur Fellow. A prolific author and incisive commentator, Dr. Benjamin’s talk will address social dimensions of science, medicine and technology, focusing on the relationship between innovation and social inequity.
Dr. Benjamin’s keynote address will be delivered on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center on the Corvallis campus and streamed online. There will also be a hybrid event at the OSU Portland Center. Registration is free and required.
Accommodation requests related to a disability for the keynote event should be made by Jan. 20 to University Events at 541-737-4717 or [email protected]. Sign language interpreting and live captioning will be provided.
Organize a Commemoration event by December 20
An important part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration are events organized by Oregon State community members across the state to collaboratively carry forward the legacy of Dr. King. Events in the past have included art shows, spoken word performances, workshops, dialogues, lectures and panels—just to name a few.
Colleges, departments, units, offices, clubs and individuals breathe life into the Commemoration by organizing events throughout the week. Oregon State community members are encouraged to work together to plan and host events. Event assistance may be available through the Office of Institutional Diversity; please contact us at [email protected].
Please visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Events website to submit your event. Event submissions will be accepted until Dec. 20.
Register for the Peace Breakfast by January 12
All Oregon State community members are invited to observe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at the annual Peace Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 20, in the CH2M HILL Alumni Center on the Corvallis campus.
Registration is free and required by Sunday, Jan. 12. Childcare will be provided at no cost by KidSpirit.
Following the breakfast, all are invited to join in a peace march, led by OSU students, beginning at 11 a.m. along a 1-mile route concluding at the SEC Plaza with a brief program and refreshments.
Accommodation requests related to a disability for the breakfast and march events should be made by Jan. 16 to University Events at 541-737-4717 or [email protected].
For more information on the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration, please contact Miguel Arellano Sanchez, assistant director of outreach and chair of the event planning committee, via email, [email protected].
Warm regards,
The 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee
Office of Institutional Diversity