MLK 2022 Schedule of Events
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Vanderbilt University Commemoration
January 17, 2022
“Where We Belong: Building the Beloved Community”
Schedule of Events
Friday, Jan.14 – Canceled
Kickoff event
This event is canceled due to the delayed start of the spring semester.
Saturday, Jan.15 – Postponed
Joint Day of Service (virtual)
This event is postponed until April 2, 2022. Please check back for further updates.
Monday, Jan. 17 – Postponed
MLK Blood Drive | Ben Schulman Center for Jewish Life
This event is postponed until March 30, 2022. Please check back for further updates.
The MLK Blood Drive started four years ago as an opportunity for students to perform a meaningful act of community service on such an important holiday. The drive, which is sponsored by Vanderbilt Hillel, is meant to promote the central Jewish value of pikuach nefesh, our commitment to saving lives. All are welcome to participate.
Volunteer opportunities are available for those who cannot give blood. For more information, email Veronica Grady.
Monday, Jan. 17
2022 Keynote with Speaker Nikky Finney (virtual), 4:30 p.m.
Poet and author Nikky Finney will be the keynote speaker for Vanderbilt University’s 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative series. This virtual event will begin with a vigil, followed by the keynote and a moderated discussion. After Finney’s address, Major Jackson, director of creative writing and Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English, will host a moderated Q&A with the speaker.
2022 MLK Commemorative Lecture sponsored by Vanderbilt School of Medicine and Vanderbilt School of Nursing (virtual)
Noon CT
Martha A. Dawson, associate professor at the University of Alabama–Birmingham School of Nursing and president of the National Black Nurses Association, will discuss “Beyond Diversity: Achieving Organizational Excellence Through a Conceptual Lens.” Organizational climate and culture must be owned by top leaders in order to create an environment that seeks to understand that diversity is a low-level building block toward achieving excellence. To maximize the unique contributions of each employee, leaders must embrace new approaches and seek to develop a culture that supports organizational justice. This presentation will introduce different theoretical concepts, such as human caring, equity, equality and expectancy. The goal is to help organizations reimagine their workforce for the 21st century and beyond.
Join the meeting using the passcode “MLKDay.”