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Watch the highlights and speeches from the OSU/City of Stillwater 2022 MLK Jr. Day March.

2023 MLK Jr. Celebration

The OSU MLK Jr. Celebration Committee Division of Student Affairs and the Division of Institutional Diversity invite you to join us in celebrating one of the most influential civil rights activists and leaders in U.S. history, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To honor Dr. King's legacy, we will sponsor events and contests open to all OSU students, faculty and staff.
This year's celebration will include a peaceful march in partnership with the City of Stillwater and the OSU community; a keynote address by actor, writer, director and producer Jay Ellis; community service opportunities and more.

An Evening with Jay Ellis

Join us at The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts | Jan. 19 
We look forward to welcoming noted actor Jay Ellis to share his compelling story of how the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. impacted his career. Inside OSU's Meghan Robinson will host a Q&A session with Ellis at 6 p.m. This event is sponsored by OSU Speakers Board and The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts.
Ellis is an LA-based actor, writer, director and producer. He played ‘Lawrence’ on HBO’s critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-nominated series Insecure, created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore.  Jay was also most recently seen in the blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick, where he starred alongside Tom Cruise. 
Jay won a 2018 NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor” in a Comedy Series. He has also served as a spokesman for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day,

Tré Smith

MLK Jr. Day March Student Keynote Speaker | Jan. 16
Tré Smith is a proud Oklahoman, raised in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, just west of Tulsa. He will be graduating in December 2022 from OSU with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications and minors in marketing and Africana studies. Tré is passionate about Black history and honoring the sacrifices made by past leaders who worked tirelessly for future generations to have the opportunities that they do today. He has held numerous leadership roles on and off campus, often with a strong focus on agricultural advocacy.
Smith is also an entrepreneur who recently launched TreBee Farms LLC, where he and a team of young leaders inspire, encourage and instill confidence in young people to know that their dreams can become a reality. Tré is honored to be the MLK Jr. Day student keynote speaker and will deliver his speech on the steps of The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts following the march.

Brittanie Cannon 

Student Singer | Jan. 16
Brittanie Cannon is a psychology junior with a minor in pre-counseling. Her hobbies include worship, volunteering with the youth in her church and spending time with her family. Cannon will perform in front of Spears School of Business ahead of the start of the march.

Connecting the Cowboy Code

As part of the 2023 MLK Jr. Celebration, the Student Affairs Programming Committee will be placing poster boards across campus with questions such as, "What does the Cowboy Code mean to you?", "How do you care for your fellow Cowboys?" and "How do fellow Cowboys inspire you to chase your dreams?"
These posters can be found at the Student Union, Edmon Low Library, Colvin Center, Residence Halls and the Joe & Connie Mitchell Academic Enhancement Center from Jan. 16-19th. We encourage students to take a post-it and leave their response. The boards will then be on display in the McKnight Center for Performing Arts lobby for An Evening with Jay Ellis at 6 p.m. on Jan. 19th.

Additional 2023 Celebration Events

MLK Jr. Essay Contest

All OSU undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to apply for OSU's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration essay contest. This year's prompt incorporates The Cowboy Code. Essay winners will be announced on Jan. 19.

Powerful Love Art Contest

The OSU Arts Committee is hosting the 2023 Powerful Love Art Contest. All entrants will have the opportunity to have their submission displayed publicly on the Orange Wall Art Gallery in the basement of the Student Union from Jan 17 to Jan 31.

Community Service

"Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. ... You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. OSU invites you to sign up for a community service opportunity on Jan. 16 in honor of MLK Day.

It takes a village

MLK Celebration Committee and Sponsors
A great deal of care, time, creativity and hard work goes into the planning our annual MLK Jr. Celebration. The efforts of those listed at the link below makes each of the events and activities possible. 
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