Through service, scholarship, and celebration, the UConn community found multiple ways this year to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
At the very beginning of the Spring 2026 semester, UConn students embodied the values of King during the annual MLK Day of Service. Participants chose to volunteer for two hours at either the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Midwest Foodbank, MACC, Holy Family, or make blankets for newborns and care packages for fellow UConn students.
After volunteering, students gathered in the Student Union ballroom to listen to a panel discussion on peace with Alicia M. McKenzie, Director of the H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center, and Angela Rola, Director of the Asian American Cultural Center.
One of the questions asked pertained to how peace appears in one of many UConn programs. McKenzie highlighted the AACC Community Kickoff Cookout that occurs at the beginning of the academic year at the Student Union lawn, sharing that it is a space where everyone can come together to enjoy each other’s company and share tasty meals.
At the same time, UConn Health hosted the weeklong MLK Jr. Lecture Series for medical students, and Dr. Jeffrey F. Hines, vice president of the Office for Inclusion and Civil Rights at UConn and UConn Health was the featured speaker at the State of Connecticut’s official celebration of King on Jan. 19.
At UConn, events honoring King continued with the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living Legacy Convocation & Awards on Jan. 30. The event became “a launcher into Black History month,” as Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Jonelle Reynolds described it.
The University of Connecticut 2026 MLK Legacy Awards Committee celebrated community members who demonstrated a commitment to raising awareness, fighting injustice, and embodying King’s philosophy of nonviolence. Held at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, the event was a blend of reflection, remembrance, hope, inspiration, and joy, featuring music, spoken word performances, and poetry from six Connecticut poets laureate.
The honorees this year are: Undergraduates Djimpsy II Gilles ’26 (CLAS) and Mia Dansby ’26 (BUS); Ph.D. candidate Kamal Gautam; Alaina Brenick, associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences; UConn Hartford Assistant Director of Student Services Monique Nelson; alumnus G. Duncan Harris ’92 (CLAS); and founder of The GLEA Network Gloria Oladeji.
Reynolds, who organized the event and served as co-chair to the 2026 MLK Legacy Awards Committee, said that this year was the first time there was a tie between two undergraduate students.
“We could not decide, they were so amazing. This is our first year having a tie, so instead of one undergrad student, we have two. When we have students that are starting their journey and accomplishing so much, we want to celebrate them,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said all recipients of the award are those who are “doing it because they see this as a mandate; this is important. This is an area that they’re passionate about and oftentimes it’s connected to other areas of their life that is motivating them. Being recognized in this way is also a nod to ‘we see you,’ ‘the work that you’re doing is important.’ It’s additional motivation to keep going.”
She added that public recognition sheds light on the work that award recipients are doing, opening doors for collaborations with others.
Sharing what Dr. King’s legacy means to her, Reynolds said it’s about being authentic to herself and prioritizing the humanity of others. “It’s speaking truth to power, standing in the front for others when it’s necessary, and being intentional about when and how I’m an advocate, so that I am impactful in a way that is authentic to me.”
UConn Alumnus award recipient Harris started his professional journey working at Merrill Lynch. The company had a program where he mentored high school students, talking with them about their future goals. “It really ignited a passion for me working with students to help identify their goals and aspirations,” he said. From there he spent 30 years in higher education, dedicated to mentorship and student support, and retired on August 1, 2025.
“I’ve had a fulfilling career working on college campuses, working with students, helping them achieve their goals,” he said.
Valuing scholarship and student support, Harris donated his cash prize of $250 and matched it to be used on emergency funds for the African American Cultural Center.
Dansby, captain of the Women’s Track and Field team, was nominated for her award by UConn Athletics. She said that in her role as captain, she asks team members how they are doing, checks in on their mental health, and reinforces that care by cheering them on during practice.
Outside of athletics, she and her friends founded the Athletes of Color Collective at the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester, creating a safe space and community for other athletes and students of color. Dansby said the club prioritizes visibility, ensuring that students are recognized and embraced for their multifaceted identities. Throughout the year, members enjoy a host of events ranging from bonding nights to networking with UConn alumni to learning about financial literacy.
“You can’t rise unless you help others rise with you,” Dansby said.
