Florida State University’s Student Government Association, in collaboration with Union Productions and the Office of Student Agencies and Institutes, welcomed songwriter, actor and author Leslie Odom, Jr. for the annual Golden Torch Lecture Series Tuesday, Jan. 20, as part of the university community’s 38th MLK Week celebration.

Florida State University’s MLK Week has celebrated the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for more than three decades in an effort to bring the FSU and Tallahassee communities together to reflect on the past and support one another to build a better world for tomorrow. The weeklong celebration across campus aligns with Dr. King’s birthday on Jan. 15 and the federal holiday observed on the third Monday of the month.

“Bringing Leslie Odom, Jr. to campus through our MLK Program and the Golden Torch Lecture Series was a powerful reflection of this year’s theme, ‘Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers,’” said Felicia Williams, director of Student Engagement. “From the FSU School of Theatre Masterclass to the sold-out moderated conversation, the experience affirmed the arts as a vehicle for leadership, truth-telling and healing. Odom’s body of work, spanning Broadway, film, and music, models how storytelling can elevate voices and inspire collective responsibility. His closing performance was intentional and deeply moving; it reminded us of the power of shared humanity and left a lasting impact on our campus and the Tallahassee community that we will never forget.”

FSU’s Air Force ROTC kicked off the program with the presentation of colors, with DaSean Stokes singing the National Anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing. The evening also featured performances by the FSU Gospel Choir and School of Dance student Jamora Lewis, recognition of the MLK Book Stipend awardees and concluded with Odom’s keynote conversation and surprise performance.

“Chances are you are not the first person to do anything — and that’s a wonderful thing — because even in the scariest moments, you can borrow from the courage of the people that have come before you.”

– Leslie Odom, Jr.

Odom is a Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominated songwriter, actor and New York Times bestselling author. Best known for his breakout role as Aaron Burr in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical “Hamilton,” Odom has continued to captivate audiences across multiple platforms through six albums, two books, as well as television, film and stage roles.

Some of Odom’s film and television credits include Rian Johnson’s record-breaking 2022 Knives Out sequel, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” for Netflix, “Abbott Elementary,” “Harriet,” “The Many Saints of Newark,” a prequel to David Chase’s award-winning HBO series “The Sopranos,” Apple TV+’s “Central Park” (2020 Emmy nomination), “Hamilton” on Disney+ (2021 Emmy nomination), host of “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” on CBS (2022 Emmy nomination), “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” and many more.

Odom’s inspiring Golden Torch Lecture conversation covered a wide array of themes including identity, artistry and the importance of building upon the legacy of those who came before us. The conversation was moderated by FSU School of Theatre Assistant Professor of Performance Jasmine Bracey.

“Chances are you are not the first person to do anything — and that’s a wonderful thing — because even in the scariest moments, you can borrow from the courage of the people that have come before you,” Odom shared. “You still gotta do it yourself, but you are not alone. The people that have succeed before you are rooting you on.”

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Florida State University will celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with its 38th annual MLK Week. This year’s theme, “Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers,” will highlight how the FSU community can foster connection, understanding and shared responsibility through meaningful dialogue.

MLK Week takes place Wednesday, Jan. 14 through Tuesday, Jan. 20. All events are free and open to the public.

This year’s programming brings the Tallahassee community together with the MLK Commemoration Ceremony and Golden Torch Lecture Series on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Leslie Odom, Jr., songwriter, actor and New York Times-bestselling author, is this year’s keynote speaker.

“This year’s theme reflects our commitment to fostering understanding and meaningful connection across our campus and community,” said Felicia Williams, director of Student Engagement. “We are honored to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Florida State and look forward to a week of inspiring events, thought-provoking discussions and community engagement that challenge us to overcome divisions, strengthen relationships and continue Dr. King’s work.”

The Commemoration Ceremony will also feature performances from the FSU Gospel Choir and Dance Ensemble, and a presentation of scholarships to honor FSU community members.

Register for this free event at tickets.fsu.edu. Tickets will be available at noon on Thursday, Jan. 15, and are required for entry.

For more information and the full schedule of events, visit mlk.fsu.edu.

Featured upcoming MLK Week events include:

THURSDAY, JAN. 15

BREAKING BREAD AND BREAKING BARRIERS

MLK Dialogue Dinner

Doors: 6:30 p.m. | Event: 7 p.m.

FSU Alumni Center

This event centers on connection, understanding and shared responsibility. The evening is designed as a space where student leaders can come together to engage in meaningful conversation across differences. As individuals who help break barriers on our campus, we believe it is equally important to take time to break bread together, recognizing that dialogue, empathy and understanding are often nurtured most effectively around the table.

SATURDAY, JAN. 17

BUILDING TRADITION

Memories of a Living King hosted by Florida State University’s Civil Rights Institute

6-8 p.m.

FSU Alumni Center

Florida State University’s Civil Rights Institute will host the third annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration “Memories of a Living King.” The event honors the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a unique blend of art, performance and community engagement, with the following objectives: memorialize Dr. King’s contributions to the global community, educate and demonstrate the American Civil Rights Movement through the arts, and garner broad community input into the strategic direction of the FSU Civil Rights Institute.

This event is free and open to the public.

MONDAY, JAN. 19

BRIDGING COMMUNITY

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday and National Day of Service

Throughout Tallahassee

Below is a list of Tallahassee community events in honor of the national Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and ways to get involved with service all year round.

These events are free and open to the public.

• MLK Day Parade | Downtown Tallahassee | 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Dream Festival | Cascades Park | 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
• MLK BBQ | Jack McLean Park, 700 Paul Russell Road | 2:30 p.m.

The 20th annual MLK barbecue, hosted by the Iota Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., commemorates the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event will include free food, local vendors, games and voter registration drive with LeonVotes.

Volunteer for service sites throughout the Tallahassee area in honor of Dr. King’s legacy and commitment to serving our communities all year round. Find a community service project with Engage TLH. Volunteers will be able to sign up for engagement opportunities via the Engage TLH portal.

TUESDAY, JAN. 20

BUILDING YOUR VOICE

MLK 2026 Commemoration Program and Golden Torch Lecture with Leslie Odom, Jr.

Doors: 6:30 p.m. | Event: 7 p.m.

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall

Enjoy a night celebrating FSU community members, featuring a performance by the FSU Gospel Choir, and an engaging conversation with our keynote speaker Leslie Odom, Jr. This commemoration event for FSU’s 38th Annual MLK Week is one you won’t want to miss!

This event is free and open to the public.

Community members can secure a ticket for this event at tickets.fsu.edu. Tickets open at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.

About the keynote speaker: Leslie Odom, Jr. is a Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominated songwriter, actor, and New York Times bestselling author. Odom is best known for his breakout role as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical “Hamilton,” but has continued to captivate audiences across multiple platforms through six albums, two books, and an unbelievable amount of television, film, and stage roles. Film and television credits include Rian Johnson’s record-breaking 2022 Knives Out sequel, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” for Netflix, “Abbott Elementary,” “Harriet,” “The Many Saints of Newark,” a prequel to David Chase’s award-winning HBO series The Sopranos, Apple TV+’s Central Park (2020 Emmy nomination), “Hamilton” on Disney+ (2021 Emmy nomination), host of “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” on CBS (2022 Emmy nomination), “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” and many more.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

The FSU Department of Student Engagement, under the Division of Student Affairs, promotes student growth through collaboration and leads campus programming that connects students to the university, providing a sense of belonging where they can evolve and make an impact throughout the world. Learn more at engagement.fsu.edu.

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Sixteen Florida State University students volunteered with the City of Tallahassee for the annual MLK Community Celebration and Festival at Cascades Park on Monday, Jan. 20.

As part of FSU’s 37th Annual MLK Week, “United We Serve” encouraged FSU students to get involved with service projects offered by the FSU Center for Leadership & Service’s EngageTLH program. The event brought together members of the FSU student organization DREAM and Student Government Association, as well as students with EngageTLH, the Community Ambassador Program and Service Scholars from the Center for Leadership & Service.

“When students commit to service, they are doing more than helping out, they are learning alongside local leaders while building trust and collective empowerment in their community,” said Maria-Paula McIntyre, program coordinator for EngageTLH.

Student volunteers participated in place-based community service and engaged with Tallahassee history that is displayed throughout Cascades Park.

“The MLK Day events held by the City of Tallahassee are essential for fostering community and promoting service,” said Priyanka Perumalraja, an FSU sophomore studying computational biology. “Service is an act of bringing the community together to address a community need in an actionable way and is one of the most important facets of our society.”

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Florida State University’s Student Government Association, in collaboration with Union Productions and the Office of Student Agencies and Institutes, welcomed author and comedian Ziwe Fumudoh for the annual Golden Torch Lecture Series Tuesday, Jan. 14, as part of the university community’s 37th MLK Week celebration.

The evening featured performances by the FSU Gospel Choir and School of Dance student Nailah Lee, recognized the MLK Book Stipend awardees and concluded with Fumudoh’s keynote conversation.

“The student talent that kicked off the evening — from our emcee and gospel choir to the dancer and FSU ROTC Color Guard — perfectly embodied the theme ‘United We Stand,’” said Felicia Williams, director of FSU’s Department of Student Engagement. “Their performances captured the spirit of unity and strength that Dr. King’s legacy represents. We were also honored to welcome Ziwe Fumudoh as our keynote speaker. Her thought-provoking words and sharp wit inspired and challenged us all to continue the work of building a more compassionate society.”

Fumudoh is a Nigerian-American author and comedian known for her satirical commentary on race relations in the modern era. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied radio, television, film and African American studies. In 2017, Fumudoh created “Baited with Ziwe,” a show on YouTube that, in her own words, “allows viewers to laugh about race while still acknowledging its complexity.” In October 2020, the first season of “Ziwe,” Fumudoh’s variety show on Showtime, was announced. Its six episodes featured sketches, musical numbers and interviews with celebrity guests including Fran Lebowitz, Bowen Yang, Phoebe Bridgers, Julio Torres and Stacey Abrams.

During the keynote, Fumudoh discussed her approach to personal style, navigating a “nontraditional” career path, and how aligning one’s interests and skills can help individuals be their authentic selves.

“Being yourself is the only thing you’re going to be a star at,” she said.

The humorous and inspiring conversation also touched on the importance of nonviolence that MLK’s life’s work emphasized, and the legacy that has left on Fumudoh’s life and professional career, noting how nonviolence brings the community together.

“Have open ears and be actively willing to listen to ideas contrary to yours,” Fumudoh said. “You have to listen to people you disagree with, that is how we can connect with each other and unite to create a better world.”

The evening honored five MLK Book Stipend awardees and two MLK Distinguished Service awardees. Undergraduate student Khameron Jones and graduate student Enyinnaya Chinatu were awarded the MLK Book Stipend and the FSU National Black Alumni selected three awardees: Breoshia Jones, Britnee Blake and Brinya Kydd. The MLK Distinguished Service Award was given to Assistant Dean for Culture & Community Engagement Keithen Mathis from the FSU College of Social Work and Elaine Howard, strategic projects and community engagement at FSU’s College of Communication and Information.

“I was extremely honored to emcee the Golden Torch Lecture Series because I not only got to commemorate the remarkable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. but also shared a stage with a prominent Black woman: Ziwe,” said Serena Petit, president of the Black Student Union. “I feel it’s so important to continue having programming like this because it illustrates how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a trailblazer and deserves to be celebrated.”

MLK Week aims to bring the FSU and Tallahassee communities together to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Events that were originally scheduled through Jan. 25, were impacted by the winter storm and are working on being rescheduled for future dates.

For more information and to stay up to date with rescheduled events, visit mlk.fsu.edu.

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The Florida State University Student Government Association, in collaboration with Union Productions and the Office of Student Agencies and Institutes, welcomed actor Da’Vinchi and CNN anchor Sara Sidner for an inspiring intergenerational conversation during the annual Golden Torch Lecture Series Tuesday as part of the university community’s MLK Week celebration. 

MLK Week aims to bring the FSU and Tallahassee communities together to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his work to advocate for the civil rights of all. 

Da’Vinchi, who is best known for his roles in the TV series “Jessica Jones,” “Grown-ish,” “BMF” and “All American,” is an outspoken mental health advocate who is passionate about raising awareness of and engaging in conversations about available mental health resources, organizations and platforms. Sidner is an award-winning senior national and international correspondent who currently co-anchors CNN News Central and led the network’s coverage of the deaths of Michael Brown and George Floyd.

“Da’Vinchi and Sara’s moving conversation inspired everyone to continue working toward a more just and equitable world by honoring Dr. King’s memory and ideals and reaffirming the commitment to creating a better future for all, that starts with self,” said Felicia Williams, director of Student Engagement. 

This year’s MLK Week theme, “Moving Forward,” is based on King’s encouragement of people to move forward in pursuit of their dreams even when obstacles appear. Sidner spoke to how King persisted in his fight for civil rights for all.  

“MLK was not fearless,” Sidner said. “To fear is to be human. What makes Dr. King so incredible is that he felt that fear and did it anyway. He used faith and courage to overcome it.” 

Da’Vinchi and Sidner shared how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream personally influenced their lives and how his life and legacy serve as an example for all. 

“I’m so grateful for MLK and the dream that he had. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see the dream that he had, but we get to reap the benefits of his dream.”  

– Da’Vinchi, actor

Having first learned about King in elementary school, Da’Vinchi believes in the importance of passing the torch to the next generation. 

“I’m so grateful for MLK and the dream that he had,” Da’Vinchi said. “Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see the dream that he had, but we get to reap the benefits of his dream.”  

Bringing their unique backgrounds with them to the conversation and Q&A, Da’Vinchi and Sidner also offered guidance on how to overcome adversity and to persist on the path to success. 

Da’Vinchi highlighted the importance of recognizing the value of mental health: “I started actively working on my mindset, and then I realized that’s what people call mental health. But to me I was just trying to become better. And then I went ‘wait — this is mental health.’ We care about physical health, and I think it should be done the same way with your mentality.” 

Sidner pondered the bigger picture of overcoming adversity from both external and internal forces: “We tend to think that ‘we shall overcome’ is just about overcoming the oppression that is done to others and us, but that is not where it ends. I argue that ‘we shall overcome’ is just as much about overcoming our own fears to be who we really are. To be our true authentic self even in the face of judgment.”  

The evening also honored recipients of FSU’s MLK Book Stipend award for students. Danelle Bernten and Jasani Robinson were named recipients of the $350 book stipends. Bernten is a graduate student studying modern and contemporary art whose award was provided by the Office of Student Agencies and Institutes. Robinson’s award was made possible by the Black Alumni Association and will help the second-year exercise physiology student with his aspirations of becoming a pediatrician.  

MLK Week events will conclude with Coffee Hour with the Center for Global Engagement from 5-6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 19. 

For more information, visit mlk.fsu.edu.  

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MLK Week events

The Florida State community will celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by hosting a week of events across campus Jan. 15-19.

MLK Week aims to bring the FSU and Tallahassee communities together to reflect on the past and support one another to create social justice and advocate for the civil rights of all. This year’s theme, “Moving Forward,” is based on King’s encouragement of people to move forward in pursuit of their dreams even when obstacles appear.

The week of events includes:

MONDAY, JAN. 15

Day of Service with Engage TLH

9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Various locations, meet at the Dunlap Student Success Center, Room 2201
Students will engage in a day of community service throughout the Tallahassee area in honor of Dr. King’s legacy and commitment to serving our communities. Student volunteers can sign up for engagement opportunities via the Engage TLH portal and meals will be provided by the Office of Student Agencies and Institutes.

The Journey to Justice

6-8 p.m.
Champions Club West Ballroom, Third Floor
Join the FSU community in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, hear from community leaders, including the Reverend Dr. R. B. Holmes, and be the first to learn about our new Reverend Doctor C.K. Steele Lecture Series. This event is free and open to the public.

TUESDAY, JAN. 16

MLK Awards and Golden Torch Lecture Series

7 p.m.
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall
The Golden Torch Lecture Series, Student Engagement’s Office of Student Agencies and Institutes and the MLK Committee present actor and advocate Da’Vinchi and CNN anchor and correspondent Sara Sidner for an intergenerational conversation on how MLK’s Dream has impacted their lives and how as a world community we continue to “Move Forward” and live the dream. This event is free and open to the public.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17

Film Screening and Discussion with Fred and Doby Flowers

6-8 p.m.
Askew Student Life Cinema
This event begins with a special evening screening of the “Justice Sunday” segment exploring the Civil Rights Movement in Florida. Filmed on FSU’s campus, the documentary features FSU alumni Mr. Fred Flowers and Ms. Doby Flowers, along with Pastor R.B. Holmes of the historic Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, as they talk about their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Following the screening, there will be a fireside chat moderated by Mr. Ted Ellis, the inaugural director of FSU’s Civil Rights Institute. This event is free and open to the public.

FRIDAY, JAN. 19

Coffee Hour with The Center for Global Engagement

5-6:30 p.m.
The Globe Building
The FSU community is invited for coffee, tea and hot chocolate to learn more about the student agencies, class councils and how to get involved. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit mlk.fsu.edu.

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