NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University is preparing to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual Celebration Week from January 16 to January 20. The event series is free and open to the public, featuring a peace brunch with keynote speaker Bilal Clarance, a university alumnus.

Dr. Shay Malone, assistant vice president of institutional excellence and global engagement at Northwest, emphasized the importance of recognizing individuals who continue King's work. "I think it’s important to acknowledge that there are people on campus – faculty, staff, students and even the Maryville community – who value the work of Martin Luther King and are still continuing to do that work," she said.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion invites nominations for the Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Awards, celebrating faculty and staff who embody King's principles of freedom, equality, justice, liberty, individuality, and respect.

Bilal Clarance will deliver the keynote address at the MLK Peace Brunch on January 17 in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom. Clarance graduated from Northwest in 2005 with a degree in interactive digital media and currently works as Google's director of engineering for their graph serving team. His career also includes roles at Apple and Capital One.

Reflecting on alumni contributions, Malone noted, "I really appreciate seeing how alums continue in some of the legacy of MLK and how they are doing that in their own worlds."

Northwest will observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20 by closing all classes and offices. King's historic role in leading the Civil Rights Movement is remembered through his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the 1963 March on Washington.

Celebration Week activities are sponsored by Northwest's Office of Diversity and Inclusion.