LYNCHBURG, Va. – The University of Lynchburg will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a series of free public events centered on the theme “Still We Rise - The Dream, The Duty, and the Divine Legacy.” The public is encouraged to attend.
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, a virtual panel discussion titled “One Table, Many Voices” will focus on King’s “legacy and his commitment to civic renewal through justice, pluralism, inclusion, and belonging.”
Recommended Videos
Panelists include:
- Robert Barnette, immediate past president of the Virginia NAACP and former president of the Hanover County NAACP
- The Rev. Dr. Daniel Harrison, local civil rights activist and co-pastor of Church of the Covenant
- Rabbi Jocee Hudson, campus rabbi and senior Jewish educator at University of Southern California Hillel
The following day, Jan. 21, “Let Freedom Speak,” a program of Martin Luther King Jr. readings and recitations, will be held in the Drysdale Student Center’s West Room. The event will feature Petrina “Trin-A-Thoughtz” Bryant, a spoken word artist from North Carolina who performed at Lynchburg’s annual Mosaic Gala in April 2025.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, a “Courageous Conversation” will begin at 6:30 p.m., featuring Dr. Chris Burton, a minister, teacher, writer, and podcast host known as “Di Baddest Chaplain.” Burton has participated in the Obama Foundation Leaders Program and the Fred Rogers Institute’s Educators’ Neighborhood. He was featured in The Presbyterian Outlook and named a “Top 40 Under 40” in 2025 by Style Weekly magazine.
Burton’s talk, “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” aims to remind and introduce the audience to the purpose of hope while providing tools to keep going and keep joy at the center.
The ‘MLK Week of Dreams, Duty and Divine Legacy’ will conclude at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, with the annual Unity March. The walk begins at Snidow Chapel and ends at Drysdale Student Center’s West Room, where community organizer and activist Desmond Mosby will deliver the keynote address.
Mosby is president of the Lynchburg Voters League, works with youth and families at Diamond Hill Baptist Church, and is a doctoral student in public policy. His work focuses on civic engagement, education, and youth development.
For more information or to access virtual events, contact Dr. Robert L. Canida II, Lynchburg’s chief inclusive excellence officer, at canida_rl@lynchburg.edu.