Bucknell to Host MLK Week 2026

Bucknell University will commemorate the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with MLK Week 2026, a series of campus events taking place Monday, Jan. 19, through Friday, Jan. 30, centered on the theme "The Time Is Always Right to Do Right."

The theme draws from King's June 14, 1965, Commencement Address at Oberlin College, "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution," in which he challenged audiences to reject passively waiting for justice and instead embrace the moral urgency of action.

The week will feature a keynote address by Anthony Ray Hinton, an American activist, writer and author who spent nearly three decades on Alabama's death row after being wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast-food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Ala. He will present a free, public talk on Monday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. in Vaughan Literature Building's Trout Auditorium.

MLK 2026 keynote speaker Anthony Ray Hinton. Photo by Rob Liggins

Hinton's story is a decades-long journey to exoneration and freedom that has brought national attention to systemic failures in the criminal justice system, most notably highlighted in Bryan Stevenson's book, Just Mercy, and by the Equal Justice Initiative. Hinton was sentenced to death by an all-white jury, and his court-appointed attorney lacked the resources to challenge the state's case. After spending 28 years on death row, Hinton was released in 2015 when his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Since then, he has become a leading voice for justice reform and is the author of the bestselling memoir The Sun Does Shine: 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., Bertrand Library will host "Black Legacy at Bucknell: Celebrating 150 Years of Black Excellence, Resilience and Impact," an exhibit in the Lower Level 1 Special Collections Exhibit Area. Curated by students Gianna Depina '26 and Athalia Elvis '26, the exhibit traces the history of Black students at Bucknell through primary materials, images and student voices. The exhibit will remain on view through Feb. 28 during library hours.

Also on Jan. 19, the Campus Theatre will host a screening of King's speech "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution," recorded at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1968. The screening begins at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a moderated discussion exploring the speech's themes and its relevance today. The event is free and open to the public.

Following the discussion, attendees may visit the Samek Art Museum Downtown Gallery for a special opening of "Those We Thought We Knew: Reimagined," an exhibition by artist Marie Cochran that reimagines David Joy's novel through the lens of Black identity, generational trauma and cultural memory. The exhibition will remain on view through Feb. 8.

Additional events include a lecture-performance by Stephen Stacks, assistant professor of music at North Carolina Central University, who will examine the continued political power of freedom songs beyond the Civil Rights era on Friday, Jan. 23, at noon in the Great Room at Hildreth-Mirza Hall.

Music and worship will play a central role during the weekend with "Singing and Social Justice," a community workshop led by the Rev. Angela Jones on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Rooke Chapel, followed by the Multifaith Commemoration of the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 25. The commemoration will feature readings from King's speeches, congregational hymns and reflections led by Stacks and Jones.

"Exploring Dialogue and Disagreement through the Dignity Index" will take place on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Elaine Langone Center's Center Room (Room 256). Facilitated by Susan Jordan, executive director of Susquehanna Valley Mediation, the interactive workshop will offer tools for engaging disagreement with dignity, drawing on King's belief that justice requires confronting conflict constructively.

The week will conclude with a community lunch on Friday, Jan. 30 in MacDonald Commons Multipurpose Room (Room 104). Organized by the staff of the Teaching & Learning Center and Friday Learning Series, the lunch is open to everyone, although RSVP is required either online (campus community) or at 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 continuing relevance.

MLK Week is organized by the MLK Week Committee in collaboration with various campus and community partners. It is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs; the Division of Talent, Culture & Human Resources; and Bucknell Student Government. Funding for the keynote event is provided, in part, by the University Lectureship Committee.