MLK Day of Service
MLK Day Special Event
Featuring MLK Day Kickoff Breakfast, Commemoration and Keynote Speaker, LaTosha Brown.
Monday, January 16, 2023
Parking is free on campus from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
View the parking map
We encourage people to attend in person, however a livestream will be available for those unable to attend in person:
Zoom Link Passcode: wwu
All are welcome to join the hybrid event highlighting local community advocacy alongside LaTosha Brown, an award-winning organizer, philanthropic consultant, political strategist and jazz singer.
Ms. Brown co-founded the Black Voters Matter Fund, is the principal of TruthSpeaks Consulting Inc., and the founding project director of Grantmakers for Southern Progress.
This event will also include comments from Jason MGill, CEO of Northwest Youth Services and members of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a National Day of Service. A day to participate, advocate, educate, and activate as a community and rethink about who, what and how we want our nation to be 365 days a year.
Following the event, we encourage our community to participate in service opportunities, support local Black-owned businesses, and reflect with family and friends about Dr. King's legacy and what he meant by creating a beloved community.
Now is the Time.
Event Schedule
8 a.m. MLK Day Kickoff Breakfast
WWU Viking Commons
- Free community breakfast (please RSVP)
- “Now is the Time for Community in Action” Jason McGill, CEO, Northwest Youth Services.
- Bellingham Public Schools Art Display
9:30 a.m. MLK Day Commemoration
WWU Performing Arts Center
- Welcome from student MCs from Western Washington University and Sehome High School.
- Land Acknowledgement from a student from Northwest Indian College.
- Performance of “Poor Man Lazarus” featuring WWU Choral and conducted by Dr. Richard Hodges.
- "Now is the Time for Radical Change" Shu-Ling Zhao, Whatcom Racial Equity Commission Representative.
- Livestream keynote address featuring LaTosha Brown.
11:15 a.m. Support for Local Businesses
All are encouraged to purchase from local Black-owned businesses tabling at the event.
12:00 p.m. Community Service opportunities throughout Whatcom County
Locations and Opportunities Vary
Visit wwu.edu/mlk-service to see volunteer opportunities.
Whatcom Human Rights Task Force 25th Annual Conference
January 12-14, 2023
From Divine Dissatisfaction to Joyful Liberation:
How Do We Co-Create a Beloved Whatcom County?
The 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Conference brings community members together to renew their commitment to the ideals of peace, justice, and collective liberation that Dr. King held so dear. With the wealth gap ever widening nationally and here at home, we see more of our neighbors struggling to access affordable housing, healthcare, food and basic living supplies, or have the privilege to rest, celebrate, create, and heal – with Black and Indigenous people facing more barriers than their white counterparts.
Let us be dissatisfied with where we are now and recommit to building a Beloved Whatcom County, until “from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
The conference will be hybrid, with in-person events on January 12 and 13 including the keynote on Friday evening, and concurrent workshop sessions all day on Saturday, January 14 on Zoom.
Participate in this National Day of Service
Martin Luther King Day is National Day of Service.
All are encouraged participate in community service in honor of Dr. King. We have partnered with local nonprofits who are offering service opportunities.
This event is intended for all participants, including those with apparent or non-apparent disabilities. This event will have live captioning and ASL interpretation, but for other disability accommodation(s), please contact Chris Roselli. Advanced notice is appreciated and sometimes necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.
This is a service opportunity to help build affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers will work with our construction team to create more affordable housing in Whatcom County.
Location: Habitat for Humanity Telegraph Townhomes
The City of Bellingham is looking for volunteers to help plant native plants at the Little Squalicum Estuary project. This helps contribute to the projects overall goal of restoring 4.85 total acres of coastal habitat, including a 2.4-acre estuary.
Location: Little Squalicum Estuary Project
This event is a collaborative effort between the following:
