³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration: Public Health and MLK's Beloved Community
The ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration on Jan. 21, 2026, at noon on ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥â€™s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences. The event will be livestreamed, and a watch party will be held on the Biddeford Campus in the Ripich Commons, Room 104. The event brings together the ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ community to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of creating a Beloved Community. The celebration features keynote speaker Melissa Hue ’15, M.P.H. ’20, director of the Office of Economic Opportunity for the city of Portland. Hue, a two-time ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ alumna, will share insights on continuing King's legacy of empowering community builders to address needs within their contemporary Maine communities. King envisioned the Beloved Community as one grounded in mutual cooperation and shared responsibility. As he wrote, "At the heart of all that civilization has meant and developed is 'community' — the mutually cooperative and voluntary venture of [people] to assume a semblance of responsibility for [others]." The event will allow attendees to explore how this vision continues to guide efforts toward public health and community engagement today.
Following the keynote address, participants are invited to hand write cards of encouragement for individuals in Portland who are currently unhoused. The postcards, designed by ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ students, will be included in snack bags assembled by ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ students at a special service event on January 27th and delivered by Hope Squad Maine. Information on Hope Squad Maine’s mission and writing prompts will be provided.
Light refreshments will be served. If you have specific accommodation needs please contact Shannon Zlotkowski, Assistant Provost for Community and Belonging, at szlotkowski@une.edu.