Villanova University Set to Celebrate the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Villanova University Set to Celebrate the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

VILLANOVA, Pa. (January 8, 2025) – This month, Villanova University will commemorate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a variety of activities and programs that reflect his message of peace, justice and hope.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
On Saturday, January 18, the University will celebrate its 18th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. This yearly event honors Dr. King’s vision by bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to improve lives, bridge social barriers and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” of which the civil rights pioneer dreamt.

Approximately 200 faculty, staff and students are set to participate in efforts led by the University’s MLK Day of Service Committee, Office of Belonging and Inclusion and Center for the Common Good. Making an impact on campus and at sites across the greater Philadelphia area, volunteers will engage in acts of service that range from cleaning community buildings to preparing care packages for those in need.

Villanova Athletics will also coordinate toiletry and winter clothing donation drives at upcoming Wildcats athletic events.

2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Lecture
On Wednesday, January 22, the Center for Peace and Justice Education will host its 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Lecture. This year’s speaker is Terry Nance, PhD, retired Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Villanova University.

Dr. Nance’s Villanova career spans more than four decades, during which time she has served as an administrator, teacher, scholar, activist and ‘support system’ for students, faculty and staff at the University. In 2018, The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education recognized Dr. Nance with the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Distinguished Service Award – an honor given to individuals who have “contributed substantially to diversity and inclusive excellence in higher education.”

Dr. Nance was the first Black tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Communication at Villanova, where she established an African American rhetoric course and created the multicultural leadership course. As a researcher, Dr. Nance has investigated the perceptions and stages of interracial relationship development, diversity and inclusion, and intergroup dialogue. She was the founding Assistant Vice President for the Center for Multicultural Affairs. In 2015, Villanova created the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, making Dr. Nance its founding director and naming her Associate Vice Provost of Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. In 2020, Dr. Nance was named Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Freedom School
On Thursday, January 23, the Center for Peace and Justice Education will also host its annual day-long workshop, Freedom School. Inspired by the 1960’s movement which aimed to counter and boycott continuing segregation in public schools, Freedom School invites students, faculty and staff to present on topics surrounding MLK’s vision and work.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.