Many Mississippians may enjoy a family gathering, trip to the National Civil Rights Museum or, possibly, sleeping-in on Jan. 19. But this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, more than 150 University of Mississippi community members have scheduled different plans: serving their community.
Hosted by the Division of Student Affairs, the university’s annual MLK Day of Service and dinner celebration both aim to honor the civil rights leader’s legacy of improving and empowering communities. Registration remains open for both events.
“The MLK Day of Service is one of the ways we can live out Dr. King’s call to action,” said Castel Sweet, director of community engagement.
“It’s not just a day of volunteering; it’s an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and community members to come together, address real community needs and recommit to serving and caring for one another”
Check in begins at noon at the Jackson Avenue Center along with a catered lunch and kickoff event. Then volunteers will be dispatched to various sites around the city and Lafayette County to participate in service projects until 5 p.m.
This years’ service projects include working with the local Salvation Army, Oxford Animal Resource Center, Faith Planter and North Mississippi Exchange Family Center.
Interested volunteers must register by Wednesday (Jan. 14) by clicking here. Free gifts are available for the first 150 registrants.
“Each year, we hear from community partners how meaningful it is to have the university show up in this way, and from volunteers who leave with a deeper sense of connection and responsibility to the place they call home, even if it’s just for a few years,” Sweet said.
Members of the community and university are also invited to join a memorial dinner celebrating King and the continued work of fostering unity nationwide on Friday (Jan. 16) at the Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union Ballroom.
The Rev. Neddie Winters, a community advocate and executive leader, will deliver the keynote address. The director of development for Mission Mississippi, Winters has spent more than 30 years working in communities across the state, said Cade Smith, assistant vice chancellor for access and community engagement.
“Rev. Neddie Winters has dedicated himself to advancing reconciliation, strengthening rural communities and supporting civic and nonprofit leadership across the state,” Smith said.
“His work reflects a deep commitment to nurturing the spiritual, intellectual, economic and civic growth of others. That focus resonates strongly at Ole Miss, where our mission likewise centers on developing people – students, families and communities – so they can flourish and contribute meaningfully to society.”
More than 20 groups supported this year’s event, including the university’s Office of the Chancellor, Office of the Provost, Division of Administration and Finance, Department of Public Health and Center for Community Engagement. The evening includes music provided by the popular Oxford band The Soul Tones.
Shawnboda Mead, vice chancellor of student affairs, will deliver the closing reflection and charge. University leaders planned the evening to offer a welcoming and motivating atmosphere to all guests because meaningful change begins with how people show up for others, Smith said.
“The MLK Dinner brings people together at a shared table to reflect, reconnect and consider how each of us can strengthen our communities,” he said.
“My hope is that when people hear Rev. Winters speak, they experience the warmth of genuine neighborly love and, at the same time, feel gently challenged to reflect on how they might strengthen their own lives, support their families and neighbors and contribute to the health of our broader community.”