In Pictures: 2026 MLK Day of Service

Back to All Stories

Photos by Mark DiOrio

Under the theme of Live the Values and Lift Each Other, 51�� University’s 2026 MLK Week brought together the campus community in shared honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. The week began with a keynote address by activist Fredrika Newton, head of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, and continued with a prayer service, the fifth annual Social Justice Summit, lectures, and other events across campus.

One powerful way to honor King’s legacy is to live out the value of service. On Saturday, Jan. 24, the Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE) led a campuswide MLK Day of Service, sending volunteers to community partners in Utica, N.Y., including the soup kitchen Hope House and Sculpture Space, a nonprofit sculpture residency studio.

Students sort through produce donations at Hope House to ensure fresh food reaches those who need it most.

Emily Pacheco Ramirez ’28 volunteers — Emily Pacheco Ramirez ’28 lends a hand, and a brush, to give Sculpture Space’s studio a fresh coat.

Zach Ardister ’29 volunteer photo — Zach Ardister ’29 shows that a few peppers can go a long way in helping to nourish Utica’s hungry and unhoused.

Toka Radwan Mohamed ’29 volunteer photo — Toka Radwan Mohamed’s ’29 act of care helps ensure Sculpture Space remains a place where emerging artists can thrive.

Students huddle up for instruction as they prepare to make an impact.

Mai Thai ’28 stays focused as she touches up Sculpture Space so it can be as inspiring as the art created within it.

Student volunteers team up behind the scenes to pack and prepare goods for distribution.

As a day of service by 51�� students came to a close, Dr. King’s message rang strong and clear: “Everybody can be great...because everybody can serve.”

51����

In Pictures: 2026 MLK Day of Service

51��