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MLK Week

MLK Week On The UAFS Campus

Please note: The UNITY Ecumenical Service and Community Breakfast have been postponed due to the expectation of extreme winter weather. New dates for these events will be announced as soon as as possible. The UNITY MLK Parade will now take place on Monday, February 10.

Each year the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith dedicates a slate of events to engage the campus community with the Fort Smith community in celebrating and honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

2024 MLK Day Celebration

Under the theme “UNITY - It Starts With Me,” the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, in collaboration with the River Valley MLK Commission and other area organizations, will host a series of events to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Highlighting the mission of unity through service, the annual MLK commission scholarship banquet will feature keynote speaker Wendell L. Griffen, a renowned Arkansas lawyer, jurist, and legal educator, has shaped his career around diversity, strategic planning, and public policy. Griffen, a University of Arkansas School of Law graduate, became the first person of color at the major Arkansas law firm Wright, Lindsey & Jennings in 1979 and later a partner in 1983. He was appointed in 1985 as chairman of the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission by then-Governor Bill Clinton, another transformative first.

In 1996, then-Governor Jim Guy Tucker appointed Griffen to the Arkansas Court of Appeals, a position he held until 2008. Concurrently, Griffen was active in various civic roles, including President of the Pulaski County Bar Association and Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

After his judicial tenure, Griffen joined the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 2009 as a Visiting Professor. He was elected as a Circuit Judge in Arkansas in 2010.

Griffen, also an Army veteran, has been recognized for his work in cultural competency and received the Army Commendation Medal in 1976. He continues to be a prominent public speaker and advocate for cultural competency and inclusion.

This year’s commemorative activities include the traditional ecumenical prayer service and campus breakfast. Expanding on the traditional community march, a full parade will take place on Garrison Avenue following the breakfast. Those interested in marching or bringing a float to the parade may register by clicking the button below. 

Register for MLK Parade

UAFS Campus

UNITY - It Starts With Me Scholarship Banquet (SOLD OUT)

  • Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024
  • Time: 6 p.m. 
  • Location: UAFS Campus Center - Reynolds Room
  • Banquet Speaker: Judge Wendell Griffen

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast (POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER)

  • Date: TBD
  • Time: TBD.
  • Location: TBD

Community Celebrations

Annual Ecumenical Celebratory Service (POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER)

  • Date: TBD
  • Time: TBD.
  • Location: TBD

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity in Action Parade (DATE CHANGE)

  • Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024
  • Time: 11 a.m.
  • Location: 7th Street and Garrison Avenue in Downtown Fort Smith (9:30 a.m. line up for participants)