Office of the Registrar

Dear Oregon State community members:

The Office of Institutional Diversity is honored to host the 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration.

The 2023 event marks an important change in the event’s name, from a celebration to a commemoration. The King Center, the organization founded by Coretta Scott King to carry forward Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violent social change, has requested that observances of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day be framed as commemorations, rather than celebrations, to recognize the ongoing struggle for civil rights.

To honor this request, OSU's event will now be known as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration.

This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Commemoration event includes the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 14, 2023, the Peace Breakfast and March on Jan. 16, a week of educational programming exploring Dr. King’s ongoing legacy and the Commemoration keynote on Feb. 1.

Journalist Jelani Cobb is this year’s keynote speaker

Jelani Cobb will serve as this year’s Commemoration keynote speaker. Cobb is a staff writer at The New Yorker, writing on race, history, justice, politics and democracy, as well as Columbia University's Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism and Dean of Columbia Journalism School.

Cobb recently co-edited “The Matter of Black Lives,” a collection of The New Yorker's most ground-breaking writing on Black history and culture in America, featuring the work of legendary writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison.

Cobb’s keynote address will be delivered on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in the La Sells Stewart Center on the Corvallis campus and streamed online. Registration is free and required by Jan. 27.

Please note the shift in this year’s keynote to Feb. 1., which also marks the beginning of Black History Month.

Accommodation requests related to a disability for the keynote event should be made by Jan. 25 to University Events at 541-737-4717 or [email protected]. Sign language interpreting and live captioning will be provided.

Submit a Legacy Award nomination by Nov. 21

We are pleased to invite your nominations for the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Legacy Awards. 

This year, nominations will be accepted for four awards – the Phyllis S. Lee Award, the Frances Dancy Hooks Award, the Oscar Humberto Montemayor Award and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award. Each award is accompanied by a $500 stipend.

To learn more about these awards, and to submit a nomination, please visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Legacy Awards website.

Award nominations will be accepted until Nov. 21, 2022. Recipients will be announced at the Peace Breakfast.

Organize a Commemoration event by Dec. 21

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 on the legacy of Dr. King. Events in the past have included art shows, spoken word performances, interfaith celebrations, workshops, dialogues, lectures, panels and marches—just to name a few.

Colleges, departments, units, offices, organizations 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. 21, 2022.

Register for the Peace Breakfast by Jan. 8 and Keynote by Jan. 27

The Peace Breakfast will be held on Jan. 16 at 9 a.m. in the CH2M HILL Alumni Center on the Corvallis campus. It is open to OSU students and employees, OSU Foundation and Alumni Association employees, and invited guests. Registration is free and required by Sunday, Jan. 8. Childcare will be provided at no cost by KidSpirit.

The Peace March will immediately follow the Peace Breakfast and is open to the public. No registration is required.

Accommodation requests related to a disability for the breakfast and march events should be made by Jan. 9 to University Events at 541-737-4717 or [email protected]. 

The Commemoration keynote will be delivered on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in the La Sells Stewart Center on the Corvallis campus and streamed online. It is free and open to the public; registration is required by Friday, Jan. 27.

For more information on the 2023 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 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Committee, Office of Institutional Diversity