Doane University is committed to intentional action above words regarding service, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2024 will be no exception. Instead of just one day of education and service, we'll host a week's worth of programming from Thursday, January 18th through Wednesday, January 24th. The theme for our second-annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week, "Living the Dream: It Starts With Me —Spreading Hope, Courage, and Unity", summarizes our purpose perfectly. Students, faculty, and staff from all campuses, plus alumni and community members, are encouraged to join us as they can.
We empower you to set personal goals and action steps this week by completing your very own Call to Action.
Fill out your CALL TO ACTION here!
We have several volunteer opportunities and collection drives during MLK Week. Learn more!
MLK Week 2024
MLK DAY, January 15 (Before our week begins)
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2024
CAMPUSES CLOSED — NO ACTIVITIES
Off-Campus Opportunities:
• FREE Admission to The Durham Museum in Omaha from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (801 S 10th St - no pre-registration necessary!)
• Progressive Ministerial Alliance of Lincoln’s annual MLK Worship Service at Mount Zion Baptist Church (3301 North 56th Street). Guest Preacher Rev. Jane Burns of Quinn Chapel AME
DAY 1: Thursday, Jan. 18 (Postponed to 1/24)
Candlelight Vigil (Postponed to 1/24)
Chab Weyers Education and Hixson Lied Art Building, Rooms 236-240 (Crete) // 7 p.m.
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
NEW DATE AND LOCATION: Heckman Auditorium, Communications Building (Crete) // 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24th
Join the Doane Community for a vigil facilitated by Dr. Marilyn Johnson-Farr, special remarks by Dr. Roger Hughes, selected Doane students, and more, as well as musical selections and performances, a proclamation from City of Crete Mayor Dave Bauer, a reading of "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and a closing call to action.
Day 2: Friday, Jan. 19
Dr. Marlon Johnson (Guest Speaker)
- SPECIFIC AUDIENCE: Leadership Team, Employees // East/West Dining Rooms, Campus Center (Crete) // 10 a.m. - Noon // “Creating Inclusive Systems for Learning and Connection”
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE. Day-of attendance is also permitted. - SPECIFIC AUDIENCE: Students, Community // Jack J. Huck Continuing Education Center (Auditorium), SCC Campus (Lincoln - 285 S. 68th St. Pl.) // 4 - 6 p.m. // “Looking Inward and Facing Outward: Developing Strategies for Cultural Humility.”
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE. Day-of attendance is also permitted.
About Marlon Johnson, PhD, LPC (TX), LPC-MHSP (TN), NCC
Dr. Marlon Johnson (He/Him) serves as a licensed professional counselor at his private practice, Johnson Counseling and Consulting in Austin, Texas. Dr. Johnson’s clinical work centers on Black mental wellness, queer and trans-inclusive mental healthcare, and community mental wellness activities. He utilizes Narrative and Quare theories to help clients feel seen and safe to explore their identities and experiences within the counseling environment. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, where he prepares individuals to become culturally-inclusive and spiritually-integrated mental health professionals. Dr. Johnson is a 2018 Doctoral Fellow within the National Board of Certified Counselors’ Minority Fellowship Program, which empowered him to pursue community-engaged scholarship focused on recruitment strategies for Black and Brown students into counseling programs. He is the Project Director of Seminary of the Southwest’s Racial Healing Initiative, equipping mental health professionals and clergy to think critically about the impact of race, race-based policy decisions, and antiracist practice upon the health of clients and congregations alike. Dr. Johnson trains students and scholars to think critically about cultural inclusion and advocacy, assessment methods, and career interventions. As a researcher and advocate, he integrates an intersectional framework to help communities explore Black and Queer identity development, gay male relationship longevity, strategies for racial healing, and mental health access and equity.Twitter: @DocJohnsonLPC // Instagram: @DocJohnsonLPC
Day 3: Monday, Jan. 22
EVENT 1
WORKSHOP: It Starts With Me
Session 1 — Boardroom, Perry Memorial Campus Center (Crete) // 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Session 2 — Administration Building, Room 117 (Lincoln campus) // 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. (Repeat of Session 1)
Moderated by Drs. Jamar Dorsey and Teresa Perkins. Two sessions, the first in Crete and the second in Lincoln.
EVENT 2
PANEL: U.S. Civil Rights Trail
Hybrid Event: Trobough Room, Perry Memorial Campus Center (Crete) + ZOOM (link here) // 7 p.m.
Moderated by Luis Sotelo and joined by a panel of students, alumni, and staff who traveled the Civil Rights Trail during the spring of 2023 alternative spring break. Hear about their travel experience learning about Civil Rights in America and how the trip impacted their lives.
DAY 4: Tuesday, Jan. 23
Lunch & Learn - A Voting Rights Conversation
Hybrid Event: Curtis East and Kleinkauf West Dining Hall, Perry Memorial Campus Center (Crete) + Zoom (link here) // 12:05 - 12:55 p.m.
Facilitated by Dr. Amanda Irions
DAY 5: Wednesday, Jan. 24
EVENT 1
WORKSHOP: MLK in the Arts
SESSION 1 — Chab Weyers Education & Hixson Lied Art, Room 252 (Crete) // 11 a.m. - Noon
Featuring artwork by Lincoln-area artists Albert Maxey and Jevon Woods. Participants will discuss "It Starts With Me" and design what that means to them.
SESSION 2 — Chab Weyers Education & Hixson Lied Art, Room 252 (Crete) // Noon - 1 p.m. (Repeat of Session 1)
Featuring artwork by Lincoln-area artists Albert Maxey and Jevon Woods. Participants will discuss "It Starts With Me" and design what that means to them.
EVENT 2
PRESENTATION: Social Emotional Intelligence & Microaggressions
Administration Building, Room 117 (Lincoln campus) + Zoom (link here) // 3 - 4 p.m.
Facilitated by Dwight Brown
EVENT 3
Candlelight Vigil (rescheduled)
Heckman Auditorium, Communications Building (Crete) // 7 p.m.
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Join the Doane Community for a vigil facilitated by Dr. Marilyn Johnson-Farr, special remarks by Dr. Roger Hughes, selected Doane students, and more, as well as musical selections and performances, a proclamation from City of Crete Mayor Dave Bauer, a reading of "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and a closing call to action.
How this aligns with Doane's Strategic Goals
Doane University is committed to intentional strategic planning. The Our Time To Lead Strategic Plan 2023-2026 reflects our core values that permeate all of our strategic goals: Inclusion, Integrity, Innovation, and Transformation. In addition to the vision and mission statements, the plan includes a purpose: “We Build Leaders.”
MLK Week 2024 falls in line with our Community Strategy, with a goal to "cultivate a thriving Doane community by strengthening equity, belonging, and engagement for every member."
Learn more here: