Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

Update: The College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day march is cancelled, and the virtual teach-ins are postponed.

Bridgewater College has annually hosted the Martin Luther King Jr. community march in collaboration with the Town of Bridgewater. While this year, due to weather, our annual march is cancelled and the virtual teach-ins have been postponed, we still honor Dr. King with an exhibit in the KCC Lobby. We encourage community members to visit the KCC Lobby, as this exhibit will be on display until Friday, Jan. 21.

Our student speaker for this year’s MLK Day assembly is Jalissa White-Jones ’22. Please watch this video to hear what Dr. King means to her.

Members of the community are invited to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with Bridgewater College during its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, “Celebrating the Dream, Continuing the Journey.” 

The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 17, at Oakdale Park in Bridgewater. The event kicks off with guest speakers giving remarks at Oakdale followed by a march of event attendees from Oakdale Park to Bridgewater College’s campus. A shuttle will be available for those who would like to participate in the march but are unable to walk the entire route because of limited mobility. 

At the conclusion of the march, guests are invited to enjoy a reception in the Kline Campus Center lobby. After the reception, Bridgewater College faculty will lead three teach-ins on Zoom.

The teach-in sessions are as follows: 

• “From Civil Rights to Afrofuturism: Dr. King’s Influence on Science Fiction Media” with Dr. Grace Martin, 12:30 p.m. This teach-in session will examine the connections between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work for Civil Rights and its legacy in Afrofuturist media. (livestream on Zoom)

• “All Labor Has Dignity” with Dr. Sam Hamilton, 1:30 p.m. In addition to his commitment to ending racial segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was similarly committed to the cause of economic justice. Just as the moral lessons from his Civil Rights advocacy can and should inform our present-day struggles with racial justice, so too should King’s lifelong support for workers’ rights inform our present-day struggles with economic justice. (livestream on Zoom)

• “Martin Luther King Jr. And Nelson Mandela: Leaders for Non-Racial Democracy” with Dr. Jamie Frueh, 2:30 p.m. Frueh will lead a discussion comparing two of the most respected leaders of the 20^th century. (livestream on Zoom)

All events are free and open to the public. In keeping with guidance from the CDC, Bridgewater College requires that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, properly wear face masks when indoors in public areas of campus.

AT A GLANCE: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

10:45 a.m. | Gather at Oakdale Park
134 Mount Crawford Avenue, Bridgewater

11 a.m. | Remarks by Town and College Representatives
March from Oakdale Park to Bridgewater College at the conclusion of remarks.

Following the March | Reception
Kline Campus Center Lobby

12:30 p.m. | Dr. Grace Martin, “From Civil Rights to Afrofuturism: Dr. King’s Influence on Science Fiction Media”
livestream on Zoom

1:30 p.m. | Dr. Sam Hamilton, “All Labor Has Dignity” 
livestream on Zoom

2:30 p.m. | Dr. Jamie Frueh, “Martin Luther King Jr. And Nelson Mandela: Leaders for Non-Racial Democracy” 
livestream on Zoom