Northwestern graduation events set for 2026
October 28, 2025
Northwestern University’s annual commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will pay tribute to King’s vision for a “Beloved Community” with events and projects planned throughout the month.
Programming begins Sunday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. with the MLK candlelight vigil. Hosted annually since 1979 by the Alpha Mu Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the vigil will be held in the Alice Millar Chapel. The vigil address will be delivered by Pastor Charlie Dates, senior pastor of both Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago and the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago.
The 2026 keynote event, featuring a panel of experts comprised of Northwestern faculty and community leaders, will break down the concept, practice and possibilities of “Beloved Community.” The in-person event livestream takes place Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. at Galvin Hall. A reception at the Segal Visitor’s Center will follow. The keynote event is free and open to the public. Register online on the Northwestern MLK website.
The panel will be moderated by Sylvester Johnson, chair and professor of Black studies. Panelists include Leslie Harris, professor of history; Kate Masur, John D. MacArthur Professor of History; Morris “Dino” Robinson, production manager at Northwestern University Press and founder of Shorefront Legacy Center; and Laurice Bell, executive director of Shorefront Legacy Center.
“As we close out 2025, we eagerly look ahead to a dynamic panel discussion from scholars and community experts reflecting on the impactful events, trends and shifts that shaped this year,” said Michelle Manno, associate provost for community enrichment. “We will explore how our current moment relates to a vision popularized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Additionally, a full slate of programming is being hosted on Northwestern’s Chicago campus. All events are free, and those open to the public are noted below.
For more information and the complete schedule of events, visit Northwestern’s MLK website.
Evanston campus events
MLK candlelight vigil
The vigil keynote will be delivered by Dr. Charlie Dates, a Chicago pastor and advocate for social justice. He is founder of the local initiatives Progressive Center for Counseling & Justice, a hub for trauma-informed care and systemic transformation; the Black Boy Literacy Campaign, a citywide movement to help 1,000 Black boys reach grade-level reading by age 10; and the Spend in the Black Commerce Corridor, which channels strategic investment into Black-owned businesses on Chicago’s South Side. The program also features a performance by Northwestern Community Ensemble. A free will offering will be collected for the March of Dimes. Members of the public are welcome.
The vigil is on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. in Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road, Evanston. It also will be livestreamed.
Eva Jefferson Day
Northwestern students will lead school-age children from Family Focus in Evanston through a day of learning about the civil rights movement, exploring themes of justice and allyship, and building relationships. This year’s theme is “Beloved Children.” The daylong event, named to honor the first Black president of the Northwestern student body, Eva Jefferson Paterson, is co-sponsored by Leadership Development and Community Engagement and Associated Student Government.
The event is on Monday, Jan. 19, at Norris University Center.
MLK keynote event
The MLK Commemoration 2026 keynote event will feature a panel of experts comprised of Northwestern faculty and community leaders who will break down the concept, practice and possibilities of Dr. King’s call for a “Beloved Community.” The panel will be moderated by Sylvester Johnson professor and chair of Black Studies. Panelists include Leslie Harris, professor of history; Kate Masur, John D. MacArthur Professor of History; Morris “Dino” Robinson, founder of Shorefront Legacy Center and production manager at Northwestern University Press; and Laurice Bell, executive director, Shorefront Legacy Center. The program also includes a performance by Northwestern’s Soul4Real a cappella group. The in-person event will be livestreamed for viewing at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
The keynote is on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 5 p.m. in the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall. A livestream will begin at the same time. And a reception will follow in the Segal Visitor’s Center. Members of the public are welcome. Register online here.
Future Archive: Our Beloved Community
The Office of Community Enrichment is hosting a digital, community-built record of imagination, play and care. The archive will not only commemorate where the Northwestern community has been; it will preserve what is need now and, in the future, to create and maintain communities where all people are respected, cared for and treated as equals.
Make submissions to the archives online.
“What We Carry” workshop
“What We Carry” is a personal archive kit — a small envelope filled with simple materials and powerful prompts designed to help participants reflect on their life, labor and values. It’s a space to notice the everyday moments that shape us as individuals and who we are together.
This project invites participants to begin archiving not just what happened, but how it felt to show up, to care, to stretch, to struggle and to keep going. It affirms that your story — your perspective, your labor, your growth — is part of our beloved community and worth preserving.
The workshop is on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 1:30 p.m. in the Office of Community Enrichment, 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 5-200. RSVP online.
Chicago campus events
Watch the keynote remotely
A livestream of the 2026 keynote panel on the Evanston campus. Dinner will be provided. Register online to attend.
The keynote livestream is on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 5 p.m. at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
“Confronting Homelessness and its Connection to MLK’s Economic Justice Activism”
The panel features leading health equity and legal experts who will discuss homelessness in Chicago and its link to racism, poverty, housing policies, drug addiction and mental health issues. The discussion will also connect ending homelessness to MLK’s social justice activism, including the Chicago Freedom Movement and the Poor People’s Campaign. The panel is moderated by Neil Jordan, director of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine in the Center for Education in Health Sciences, and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Feinberg School of Medicine. Panelists include Leonard Jason, director of the Center for Community Research at DePaul University; Niya Kelly, director of state legislative policy, transformation and equity at the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness; and LaTanya R. Jackson Wilson, vice president of advocacy at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. Lunch will be provided. Register online to attend.
The panel is on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at noon in the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Rubloff Building, Room 150.
Community Vendor Market
Pritzker School of Law’s Staff Engagement Allyship Network presents a vendor market offering the Northwestern community an opportunity to purchase local goods and gifts and support small and locally owned businesses.
The market takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Martin Atrium.
Dramatic Reading: “The Lawndale King”
This special dramatic reading of excerpts from “The Lawndale King,” depicts MLK’s negotiations with Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley leading to the 1966 Summit Agreement. As part of those historic negotiations, the Chicago Housing Authority promised to build better public housing, and the Mortgage Bankers Association agreed to end racial discrimination in mortgage assessments.
The reading will be performed by Collaboraction, a theater and performing arts company dedicated to inciting social change through original devised theater and community engagement, cultivating knowledge, dialogue and action around Chicago’s most critical social issues.
The reading is on Thursday, Jan. 22, from noon to 1:20 p.m. at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Thorne Auditorium. It is open to all Northwestern students, staff and faculty. Lunch will be provided following the event in Thorne Lobby. Register online to attend.
Oratorical contest
Northwestern students enrolled in a full-time program (except for Ph.D. students and student athletes) are invited to participate in the 2026 Oratorical Contest. This year’s topic is “MLK and The Poor People’s Campaign: Have We Progressed or Fallen Behind in the Fight for Economic Equality?” The top three contestants will be awarded a scholarship ranging from $500 to $200. View the guidelines and submission instructions here.
The contest takes place on Friday, Jan. 23, from noon to 1 p.m. Watch the virtual competition here. Submissions should be emailed to community@law.northwestern.edu no later than noon on Thursday, Jan. 15.
Blog post and book display on MLK and economic justice
The Pritzker Legal Research Center has developed a blog post and book display showcasing MLK’s and contemporary scholars’ work focusing on economic justice. The books are displayed in the case to the right of the Northwestern Law Library entrance and are available to be checked out.
