student marching with signs for MLK Jr Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

2025 Event Schedule

  • January 20: Official MLK Day Holiday (university closed)
  • January 23: On-Campus Rally and March (Community Time)
  • January 31: Unity Luncheon and Unsung Heroes Awards (registration required)
  • January 31: MLK Day of Service (Westminster only)
  • February 13: Bastian Diversity Lecture MLK Keynote (registration required)
  • February 19: Panel discussion and screening of the film ”Origin“

Martin Luther King

Event Details

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Westminster University’s evolving efforts to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are anchored in his powerful words: “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”

Intelligence and character are pillars of a Westminster education and experience. They are embedded in Westminster’s university-wide learning goals, Diversity Statement, and our commitment to inclusivity.

Each January, Westminster holds a week of events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy that provides opportunities to connect and have conversations about diversity, community, and engagement.

Three students posing with a fist in the air in the middle of Richer Commons

Students marching with linked arms on the street holding signs

About the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

While the state of Utah lagged for decades in officially acknowledging Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, dedicated Westminster campus community members mobilized, strategized, and at times organized with other universities to acknowledge and celebrate Dr. King’s work and commitment to social justice.

In recent years, Westminster’s activities have grown to include a rally and march in the Sugar House neighborhood, a Day of Service, a keynote address, and a luncheon to recognize those among us who are actualizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their circles of influence. The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration advances the talk and action toward building healthy, respectful, and brave living and learning communities for all.

Westminster honors Dr. King’s life and legacy as a leading activist to gain equal civil and human rights for African Americans and all who suffered social, economic, educational, and legal injustice.

Celebration Planning Committee

If you would like to participate in the planning committee for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week, contact Tamara Stevenson at tstevenson@westminsteru.edu.

Unsung Hero Awards

The Unsung Hero Awards recognize members of the Westminster community who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting a diverse and inclusive community–on campus and in our surrounding communities. Nominees may be students, staff, faculty, and campus units, along with community leaders, partners, and local organizations who demonstrate exceptional courage, conviction, and capacity in their field of work or service that has made a positive and productive difference in the lives of individuals and communities.

The Unsung Hero Awards are presented at the Unity Luncheon, which is part of the university's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Week.

Nominations are open for the 2025 Unsung Hero Awards. Please include a brief explanation for each of your nominations and email them to dei@westminsteru.edu no later than Dec. 6, 2024.

 

2025 Unsung Heroes

  • Ezequiel Busquets Headshot

    Student: Ezequiel Busquets


    Ezequiel Busquets is a guitarist, composer, and performer based in Salt Lake City, with a focus on jazz.
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  • Michael Santarosa Headshot

    Staff: Michael Santarosa, Registrar


    As Registrar, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, and Co-Chair of the commencement planning committee at Westminster University, Michael brings a cultural lens to his work, aware of how systems and policies support or work against endeavors to bring out the best in every individual and strengthen our dynamic community of teaching and learning—with a careful eye towards protecting student rights for privacy and access and ensuring the University complies with various regulations with integrity.
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  • Chris Davids Headshot

    Faculty: Chris Davids PhD, Psychology


    Dr. Chris Davids is a licensed psychologist and an associate professor of psychology at Westminster University.
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  • Converse Aerial shot

    Campus Unit: Faculty Diversity Council: Christy Seifert, Julie Stewart, Kathryn Lenth, Bianca Thomphson, Brian Wierman.


    The Diversity Council is a group of faculty dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at Westminster University.
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  • Loyda Kyrmes Headshot

    Alum: Loyda Archuleta Kyremes


    Loyda Archuleta Kyremes is a retired educator who dedicated 33 years to teaching Spanish in the Salt Lake City School District.
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  • Rev. Dr. Oscar T. Moses Headshot

    Community Leader: Rev. Dr. Oscar T. Moses, Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church


    Rev. Dr. Oscar T. Moses is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, a position he has held since January 1, 2020.
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  • Richard Ferguson Headshot

    Community Organization: Dr. Richard Ferguson, Black Physicians of Utah


    Dr. Richard Ferguson, a physician leader and health equity advocate, founded Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU) in 2021 to improve healthcare outcomes for Black and underrepresented Utahns.
    ...
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    • Past Unsung Hero Awardees

    • Keaton Schrank, Staff
    • Shireen Ghorbani, Community Leader
    • Dr. Kelly Asao, Faculty
    • Salt Lake Film Society (SLFS), Community Organization
    • The Westminster Career Center, Campus Unit
    • Camala Richard, Alumni
    • Dan, Student
    • Bobbi Deal, Student, Nursing
    • Julie Tille, Staff, Director, Katherine W. Dumke Center for Civic Engagement
    • Dr. Bianca Thompson, Faculty, Mathematics
    • Amanda Darrow, Alum
    • First Scholars Program, Campus Unit (Kari Lindsay and Julian Mendez)
    • Utah State Representative Sandra Hollins, Community Leader
    • Wasatch Community Gardens, Community Organization
    • Sophie Caligiuri, Student
    • Meghan Wall, Faculty, Dance
    • Nancy Brown, Staff, Institutional Advancement
    • Giovale Library, Campus Unit
    • Plan-B Theatre, Community Organization
    • Eliza Van Dyk, Student
    • Joan Roque Peña, Faculty, Chemistry
    • Frances Peacock, Staff, Assistant Director, Student Success and Retention
    • Computer Science: Helen Hu and Kathryn Lenth, Campus Unit
    • Angela Dunn, MD, MPH, lead epidemiologist for the state of Utah, Community Leader
    • Lucas Horns, Project Rainbow, Community Leader
    • YWCA Utah, Community Organization
    • Alvaro Cortez, Student
    • Shari Duckworth, Director, Student Account Services
    • Marilee Coles-Richie, Faculty, Education
    • Adam Sklute, Artistic Director of Ballet West, Community Leader
    • B.W. Bastian Foundation, Community Organization
    • Marley Dominguez, Student
    • Lesa Ellis, Faculty, Neuroscience
    • Tamara Stevenson, Faculty, Communication
    • Collin Bunker, Staff, Information Services
    • Engels Tejeda, Alum
    • Office of Marketing and Communications, Campus Unit
    • Sabi Lowder, Student
    • Karnell McConnell-Black, Dean of Students
    • Han Kim, Faculty, Public Health
    • James Jackson III, President, African American Chamber of Commerce, Community Leader
    • Multicultural Engagement for Utah, Community Organization
    • Mary Jo Hinsdale, Director, McNair Scholars Program
    • Eileen Chanza Torres, Faculty, English
    • Cherie Wood, Mayor, City of South Salt Lake

     

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