The third Monday of January each year is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which honors the legacy of the towering civil rights figure. No single person is more closely associated with the American struggle for equality than Nobel Peace Prize winner King, who was one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement from the 1955 boycott of segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama, through his assassination in 1968 while in Memphis to support a strike by sanitation workers.
Observing this holiday provides an opportunity for the UConn community to reflect on King’s life and legacy.
The following events are scheduled for the UConn community:
Monday, January 19
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
8:30 a.m.
Students from all UConn campuses are invited to take part in service opportunities, hear from various speakers, and engage in meaningful discussions. This event is being sponsored by the Office of Community Outreach.
School of Dental Medicine Day of Service
Students from the School of Dental Medicine will be performing community service and volunteering at Connecticut Foodshare in Wallingford; City Seed, a refugee kitchen in New Haven; Bread for Life in Southington; the Pediatric Dentistry Interest Group with the Operation Smile Club will be writing letters for Operation Smile; members of the UConn Chapter of the American Student Dental Association will be writing letters to Love For Our Elders.
State of Connecticut Martin Luther King., Jr. Holiday Celebration
State Capitol, Hartford, 10 a.m.
Jeffrey Hines, Vice President for the Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights at UConn and UConn Health, will be the featured guest speaker at this ceremony. The event is organized by the State of Connecticut Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
The event starts at 10 a.m. and concludes with a bell ringing ceremony at noon. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will include musical selections and remarks from state leaders.
Tuesday, January 20-Wednesday, January 28
Martin Luther King., Jr. Day Lecture Series
UConn School of Medicine
The UConn School of Medicine will once again host a weeklong Martin Luther King Jr., Day Lecture Series for its medical students, showcasing community organizations and experts that reflect the spirit of service and outreach championed by King. The MLK Lecture Series keynote lecture is open to the UConn and UConn Health community wishing to attend. The keynote lecture will be delivered during the medical school’s Service and Advocacy Summit on Monday, January 26 at 5:15 p.m. in Low Auditorium at UConn Health in Farmington. The lecture will be by Connecticut-based psychiatry expert Dr. Carmen Black on the topic: “Already to Action: A Critical Appraisal of Health Equity Change Agents within Medical Professionalism.”
Friday, January 30
Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legacy Convocation
Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 6:30 p.m.
UConn’s Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights will present a vibrant evening of reflection, art, and celebration. The event will feature inspiring performances and the presentation of the 2026 MLK Legacy Awards, recognizing those who embody his principles of nonviolence, service, and social change
The celebration will include six Connecticut poet laureates, spoken word artists, and musical performances, including UConn’s Voices of Freedom choir.
This event is free and open to the public.
