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Carlie Pierre
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Salem State University students, faculty, staff, and community members are warmly invited to save the date for the 37th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Campus Celebration on Monday, January 25, 2027!
This year’s theme, Be Love. Heal Humanity. Honor Truth. Prioritize Justice. Practice Nonviolence365, calls us to reflect on Dr. King’s enduring vision and consider how we can embody love, advance healing, honor truth, champion justice, and practice nonviolence in our everyday lives.
Join us for a day of engaging programs, meaningful dialogue, and community connection designed to inspire reflection and collective action. Together, we will celebrate Dr. King’s legacy while exploring how we can carry his work forward through our shared commitment to equity, justice, and community action on campus and beyond!
Please see the full schedule of programs below, and join us as we honor Dr. King’s legacy and discover meaningful ways to turn this year’s theme into action.
Day of Programs
community Breakfast
9:30 am-10:30 am | Ellison Campus Center MLK Jr. Room
Join us as we kick off the day of celebration and connection with breakfast. Doors open at 9 am!
candlelight Vigil AND Freedom March
10:30-11 am | Ellison Campus Center Lobby
We invite all members of our community to join us as we march from the Ellison Campus Center to the Sophia Gordon Center, where Convocation will take place. A short vigil will take place in the Lobby before the march.
Convocation
11 am-12 pm | Sophia Gordon Center
Hosted by Salem State students, Convocation will feature a keynote address, followed by an engaging community conversation exploring what preserving democracy and nonviolent collective action looks like in our communities and beyond. We will announce our 2027 keynote speaker this November!
Leadership Luncheon and Awards
12:30-2 pm | Ellison Campus Center Veterans Hall
Join us for a delicious lunch and celebrate outstanding SSU community leaders and City of Salem Public School students as we recognize their achievements.
Presented annually to an SSU undergraduate, graduate, alumna/us, faculty, staff, or administrator, the Rev. Dr. MLK Jr. Leadership Awards recognize outstanding and significant contributions to the cause of freedom, justice, and equity. Nominations are now open and will close on Sunday, December 20, 2026.
Nominate a community member
Join us in honoring Dr. King’s vision and in building a campus culture rooted in compassion, equity, and collective action.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Planning Committee
- Melissa Arroyo, Director, Student Involvement & Operations
- Colin Bereth, Assistant Director, Title IX and Compliance
- Lucy Corchado, Staff Assistant, Center for Justice and Liberation
- Annalisse Hart, ’27, Student Initiatives & Engagement Coordinator, Inclusive Excellence
- Mike Mitchell, ‘07, Director of Engagement, Advancement
- Alison Morris, Administrative Assistant, School of Continuing and Professional Studies
- Karoline Padro Pereira, ’28, Inclusive Excellence & HSI-MSI Graduate Assistant
- Carlie Pierre, Director of Education and Training, Inclusive Excellence
- Ivan Piña, '00, Coordinator of Student Development, Student Support Services
- Arlene Theodore, Director of the Center for Justice and Liberation
- Amarilys Torres-Nuñez, Administrative Assistant II, Inclusive Excellence and HSI-MSI Initiatives
- Katrina Tuck, Administrative Assistant II, College of Arts and Sciences