UAB celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through local partnerships and events including Word from the Mountain Top and more.Diversity is a defining feature of Birmingham’s past, present and future. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, we are committed to capitalizing on what makes Birmingham and the University trailblazers in moving inclusion forward as one of our shared values.
Every day, we seek ways to actively promote and recognize principles of fairness and equity, in relation to, and across, intersections of race, age, color, disability, faith, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, social class, economic class, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, and all other identities represented among diverse communities.
Continuing the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., UAB, the Office of the Mayor of Birmingham, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and other members of the Birmingham King Week Commission have joined together to host the 2021 Birmingham King Week.
The annual commemoration honors and celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a weeklong series of events and service initiatives at UAB and throughout the City of Birmingham.
In light of COVID-19, many of the events on this year’s communitywide calendar are virtual. They include a virtual MLK Day 5K Drum Run, a virtual Day of Service, virtual King Week Trivia Night and the Word from the Mountain Top oratory competition, among others. The UAB Institute for Human Rights Social Justice Café will host “Dr. King’s Perception of Equity,” a virtual discussion with community members, Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 4 p.m.
This year’s sponsors include the UAB Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, UAB Athletics, Birmingham Southern College, Miles College, Samford University Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives, Hands On Birmingham, and Leftover Energy LLC.
“Social justice, social action and servant leadership are rooted in Dr. King’s legacy, and the events taking place during the community-wide commemoration allow us all an opportunity to honor him,” said Paulette Patterson Dilworth, PhD., vice president for the UAB Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
For a full list of the week’s activities, visit www.uab.edu/dei/cace/community-engagement/birmingham-king-week.