USF honors Martin Luther King Jr. with week of events and student service projects

By Ryan Hughes, University Communications and Marketing

The University of South Florida’s annual celebration of the life, legacy and values of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. will honor his vision with community service events, a brunch and other activities.

USF’s MLK Commemorative Week will provide students an opportunity to participate in community service projects at several Tampa Bay area locations from Friday, Jan. 17, through Saturday, Jan. 25.

The Stampede of Service initiative benefits local nonprofits and organizations that personify King's commitment to service. Among the projects, on Friday, Jan. 17, USF students will lend a helping hand from 9 to 11 a.m. in the University Area CDC Hope Garden, which provides fresh organic produce to the community.  On Saturday, Jan. 18, beginning at 8:30 a.m., USF students will participate in the “Paint the Town” event, also in partnership with the University Area CDC.  This annual event allows volunteers to paint, plant, sweep, rake or pick up trash in areas around the Tampa campus. 

On Monday, Jan. 20, USF students, faculty and staff members are expected to participate in the city of St. Peterburg’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade.

USF’s annual MLK Commemorative Brunch on the Tampa campus will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 11 a.m., featuring keynote speaker Tiffany Moore Russell, regional director of the South Atlantic Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Moore Russell also serves as Orange County Clerk of Courts. The event will take place in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom and is free and open to the public. More information, including registration, can be found here. 

At USF St. Petersburg, middle and high school students from Pinellas County, along with USF St. Petersburg students, will be honored during the annual MLK Jr. Awards Banquet. This year, 20 students will be recognized for their commitment to overcoming adversity, fighting for social justice and advancing the ideals of King. The event takes place on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. in the USC Ballrooms and will feature keynote speaker Alex Harris, an acclaimed singer, producer and founder of the Arts Conservatory for Teens.

On Friday, Jan. 24, students and other volunteers will assist with sorting food items at Feeding Tampa Bay’s warehouse, which will be given out to those in need throughout our community.

In addition, USF alumni around the country will participate in Stampede of Service events over the next several weeks. More information can be found here.

In observance of MLK Day, the university will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20. 

The USF Tampa campus is the proud home to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, featuring a bust of King and portions of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech inscribed in granite, giving students, faculty and staff a place to reflect on his legacy throughout the year.