'A Call for Health Equity Is a Call for Humanity': Martin Luther King Jr. Week Events and Resources

12.18.2024

‘A Call for Health Equity Is a Call for Humanity’: Martin Luther King Jr. Week Events and Resources

By Sudha Kamath

Since 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been observed on the third Monday of January in honor of his Jan. 15, 1929 birthday.

In 2025, Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Jan. 20 — and the UVA Health Office of Diversity and Community Engagement (ODCE) has declared "A Call for Health Equity Is a Call for Humanity" as our theme for the week. UVA Health's strategic plan initiative of cultivating healthy communities and belonging for all touts the goals of community engagement and health equity.

Below are self-reflection resources for Monday, Jan. 20. In addition, you're invited to join the following events that week to help commemorate the legacy of the civil rights icon:

National Day of Racial Healing Luncheon featuring the theme, "Racial Healing: The Heart of Racial Equity" | Tuesday, Jan. 21, 12-2 p.m. | Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 233 4th Street NW, Charlottesville 22903 | Free and Open to the Public; Registration Required | Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Micah McCreary, President, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Jersey. Co-sponsored by UVA Health Office of Diversity and Community Engagement.
DEI Book of The Month Signing: Trauma and Race: A Path to Well-Being | Tuesday, Jan. 21, Time TBA | Location TBA | Free and open to the public; Registration Required (link TBA) | Guest Author Rev. Dr. Micah McCreary. Sponsored by UVA Health ODCE and Claude Moore Health Sciences Library.
Introduction to Coming to The Table | Wednesday, Jan. 22, 12-1 p.m. | Virtual; Registration Required (link TBA) | UVA and UVA Health team members are invited to join. Sponsored by UVA Health ODCE.
2025 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., University of Virginia Health System Awards | Thursday, Jan. 23, 5-8 p.m. | The Rotunda | Free and open to the public; Registration Required | guest speaker TBA | Sponsored by UVA Health ODCE, UVA School of Medicine, UVA School of Nursing.
Introduction to Transforming Community Spaces Through Equitable Collaboration | Friday, Jan. 24, 12-1 p.m. | Virtual; Registration Required (link TBA) | UVA and UVA Health team members are invited to join. Sponsored by UVA Health ODCE.