EMU MLK week activities feature former White House press secretary, nonprofit networking, and more

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) kicked off a weeklong series of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events Jan. 19, with offerings ranging from an appearance by a former White House press secretary to a nonprofit networking session.

Melissa Thrasher, EMU’s executive director of media relations and social media, says EMU’s MLK Celebration committee members vote on a theme for MLK Day events each year. For 2026, they chose “His Dream. Our Action.” This year’s MLK Celebration events kicked off with a luncheon Jan. 19 featuring keynote speaker Karine Jean-Pierre, press secretary for former President Joe Biden. 

Jean-Pierre spoke on the university’s theme, talking about how her immigrant parents turned “hope” into “action” by fleeing an oppressive regime and giving her a chance at a different life.

“When my father and I became U.S. citizens, I watched him vote for the first time in decades. I watched a man who had once lived under dictatorship reclaim his voice in a democracy,” she said. “That moment taught me something essential, which is so true today: Democracy is not guaranteed. It survives only when people participate.”

Thrasher says EMU’s MLK Celebration will offer a “menu of activities” this week, many organized by campus departments and community organizations. Jan. 20 will bring the MLK Celebration Annual Basketball Game between the EMU Eagles and the Toledo Rockets, with tip-off occurring at 6:30 p.m. at the George Gervin Convocation Center, 799 N. Hewitt Rd. in Ypsi. On Jan. 21 at 5 p.m., Courtney Smith, founder of the Detroit Phoenix Center, will speak on “Leadership, Liberation, and Becoming Who You Needed” in room 310A at the EMU Student Center, 900 Oakwood St. in Ypsi.

Thrasher says that, while the entire week emphasizes unity, leadership, and service, Thursday and Friday’s programming is intentionally designed to cultivate the concept of “Beloved Community” at EMU among students, staff, and the greater Ypsilanti community. On Jan. 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the focus is on student activism, with an event on the first floor of the Student Center offering service and civic engagement opportunities for students. 

On Friday, the focus is local nonprofits. Spots are still open for local nonprofits who want to participate in a “Beloved Community Networking Event” from 9:30-11 a.m. Jan. 23 at the Student Center, room 300. The networking event is free and open to the public, but spots are limited, and advance registration is requested here.

Sam Carter, communications and operations manager with Engage@EMU, says many local nonprofits will be represented at the event. They include Engage@EMU, Bright Futures, the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition (SEMIS), Academic Service-Learning (AS-L), Way Forward, Professional Programs and Training (PPAT), the Legal Resource Center, and the Community Work-Study Program. 

Carter and other Engage staff will lead participants in discussions with thought-provoking prompts like: What does a beloved community mean to you? If resources were unlimited, what community change would you create? 

By the end of the session, participants can expect to leave with new connections, business cards in hand, and four or five potential collaborations or projects to explore further, Carter says.

For questions regarding community engagement at Eastern Michigan University, reach out to Engage@EMU via email at emu_engage@emich.edu or by phone at (734) 487-6570. 

See the full lineup of EMU MLK Celebration events here.