Coastal Carolina University will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration from Jan. 13-18. This year’s events aim to honor King’s memory and civil rights work by engaging the campus and greater Grand Strand communities.

“It is important to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Joshua Moore, director of CCU’s Intercultural and Inclusion Student Services (IISS). “The events being hosted and highlighted are themed around unity and community engagement. Dr. King’s work centered around unity during the fight for equity and inclusion during a time where there was so much divide. I hope by engaging with various events this year, our community will be motivated to engage more throughout the year and not just during annual MLK celebratory events.”

This year’s celebration includes:

Jan. 13

The weeklong celebration of King begins with the Grand Strand MLK Day Parade on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m. The parade route in downtown Myrtle Beach follows Ocean Boulevard from 15th Avenue North to 8th Avenue North. Representatives from CCU, including staff members and student members of African American Initiative for Men, Women of Color, Students Navigating and Advising Peers, and the CCU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, will be participating in this year’s parade. Click here for more information.

Jan. 15

CCU will sponsor the MLK Drum Major Awards and Breakfast, presented by the Carolina African American Heritage Foundation, on Monday, Jan. 15, at 9 a.m. at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center (2101 Oak St., Myrtle Beach). Tiffany Hollis, Ph.D., associate professor in CCU’s Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences, will serve as the keynote speaker. This is a ticketed event.

CCU’s Office of Community Engagement, along with Keep Horry County Beautiful, will host the MLK Day of Service community cleanup at Collins Park in Conway at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. Volunteers will dedicate an hour of service to cleaning up the park grounds in celebration of King. All volunteers will receive a free chicken bog lunch (vegetarian option available) as a thank you for their commitment to the community. Transportation from campus is provided if needed. To register, email lnlevert@coastal.edu.

Jan. 18

IISS will host “The Defamation Experience: The Play. The Deliberation. The Discussion,” on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 7-9 p.m. in CCU’s Johnson Auditorium (Wall 116). Attendees will have the opportunity to be a member of the jury and enjoy an interactive experience, from Canamac Productions, that asks them to consider how we form opinions and judgments of others as we deliberate challenging topics. This conversation casts a light on biases and preconceived notions and shows how people can witness the exact same thing yet come to different conclusions based on perspectives. Watch a preview of The Defamation Experience here. This event is free and open to the public.