Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will look different than in years past, but the LOU Community is still finding ways to honor the memory of the Civil Rights Movement pioneer in 2021.

The first celebration will take place Jan. 15 with a virtual Community-Wide MLK Celebration. This year’s virtual celebration will be streamed on Facebook Live on Jan. 15, 2021, at 5 p.m., through the University of Mississippi Facebook page.

The theme of this year’s MLK Day Celebration is “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” This theme comes from the title of Dr. King’s 1967 book, written in a time of tremendous social upheaval not dissimilar to 2020, according to the event’s page on the Visit Oxford website.

University of Mississippi alumnus Dr. Mike Edmonds will be the featured guest speaker, and will speak on the theme of community in a time of crisis, building on his passion for the University of Mississippi and drawing on his experience as a leader in higher education.

Oxford Film Festival will also host a series of drive-in films to commemorate the life and legacy of King, with Showings of the film Selma on Jan. 16 and 17, and a showing of the film MLK/FBI on Jan. 18. Click here or visit the OFF website for more information and tickets.