This year, Colgate’s annual MLK Celebration will run from Jan. 23 through Jan. 29, 2023.
The opening ceremony, featuring student speaker Kwabena Owusu Ansah ’24 and performances by the Colgate Resolutions and Safety Forth, will be held at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 23, in Memorial Chapel and will stream live.
Bishop Edwin C. Bass ’71, pastor of The Empowered Church within the Spanish Lake community of St. Louis, Mo., will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 4:30 p.m. This event will also stream live.
With an enduring commitment to establishing community, Bishop Bass has served on the boards of St. Louis Transitional Hope House, Lindenwood University, Grace Hill Economic Development Corporation, the Urban League of St. Louis, the U.S. Justice Department’s Operation Weed and Seed, the Christian Hospital Ethics Committee, Eagle Bank & Trust Company now Enterprise Bank, and the Colgate University Alumni Corporation.
While at Colgate, he participated in the 1968 sit-in that resulted in significant changes on campus, including the creation of the ALANA Cultural Center. Recently, he was instrumental in bringing the community together in Ferguson, Mo., following the shooting of Michael Brown.
The MLK celebration is a proud Colgate tradition, organized by the ALANA Cultural Center and the Office of the Dean of the College. Other highlights will include a Unity Dinner, a Day of Service, and a social justice summit, featuring student leaders from the New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium. View the full schedule of events on the Colgate calendar.