Every year, the Walla Walla Valley gathers together for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Walla Walla University partners with Whitman College, Walla Walla Community College, the Gesa Power House Theatre, and the Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) to host a full day of community remembrance, celebration, and action.
On Monday morning, WWU’s Black Student Christian Forum choir and iCantori welcomed everyone to the University Church, where Joan Francis—professor and director of the Center for Law and Public Policy at Washington Adventist University—helped kick things off. She spoke about who and what made MLK Jr. the man he was and what he truly fought for: love and justice. “We, like him, can follow Jesus and be everyday heroes living for God’s glory,” said Francis.
Afterwards, Whitman College welcomed everyone to their Reid Campus Center to kick off the Legacy Walk to the Gesa Power House Theatre for a keynote address. Anthony Covert, sophomore economics major at Whitman College, spoke this year, presenting “Songs Changed: From Selma to the Cell.”
In recognition of what MLK Day stands to remind us of—the ongoing struggle for economic empowerment and equal opportunity for all members of our community—the next part of the day is spent making a difference in the community.
Participants made their way to BMAC to assemble bags of food for the non-profit’s Backpack Bridge program. These bags go to students who receive free or reduced-price meals from their schools during the week but often go hungry on weekends. In less than an hour, volunteers assembled 540 bags of food.
MLK Day of Service didn’t end there, WWU’s Center for Humanitarian Engagement hosted three Birthday Together Kit service opportunities. Thanks to the work of 140 Pathfinders, university students, and community volunteers, 300 birthday kits were assembled. These kits, full of everything someone might need to celebrate a birthday, were then distributed to various non-profits like the Christian Aid Center and Akin.
Finally, the celebration came to a close that evening at Whitman College. The final event, “Come Hear What We See,” was an album release party for Rodney Outlaw and Comon Pholk.
To learn about more service opportunities and stories, visit wallawalla.edu/che.
Posted March 2, 2026.
