Location: Cadman Art Gallery (on Rhatigan Student Center, 1st Floor)

The annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration highlights and memorializes the work, accomplishments and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hear from Dr. Galyn Vesey, a lifelong Wichita native and civil rights activist, on his love of justice, humanity and service within the community through power and activism. The 2023 Drum Major Award recipients will also be recognized.

About Dr. Galyn Vesey

Galyn A. Vesey, Ph.D. is the project director for Research on Black Wichita, Kansas. He is a native and lifelong resident of Wichita returning home following his retirement from teaching at Alabama A&M University and applied research at Cornell University. He is published and has a track record in creating planned community interventions, policy analysis designs, and community problem-solving using principles and dynamics of facilitator training. Dr. Vesey was among a small group of students that led Wichita's Dockum Drugstore Sit-in on July 19, 1958, one of the first lunch counter protests of the Civil Rights era. Today, he continues to share his stories, experiences and impact through research, presentations, and publications.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebrations

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King's character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit. As numerous events take place to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we have compiled a guide of celebrations for this year's MLK Day in the City of Wichita.

For more information, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 316-978-3034.