2026 MLK Week: Building the Beloved Community
by
Mon, Jan 19, 2026 8:00 AM –
Sun, Jan 25, 2026 9:00 PM EST (GMT-5)
Private Location (sign in to display)
Registration
Details
The Beloved Community calls us to work together to eliminate poverty, hunger and homelessness through compassion, service and meaningful action.
Throughout the week, we’ll honor Dr. King’s legacy by creating opportunities to connect, serve, and uplift one another, strengthening our campus and local communities through collaboration, empathy and collective responsibility.
To volunteer for our Monday evening Day of Service, or to nominate individuals for "Builders of the Beloved Community" project, please click here.
Agenda
Past Events
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Join the BW & Berea Community MLK Week Planning Committee and the Office of Spirtual Life for Refresh at 11:00 AM upstairs in the sanctuary on the 2nd floor of Lindsay-Crossman Chapel!
Refresh is a weekly fellowship where we pause from the busyness of campus life to connect through music, community, and reflection. One of our traditions is “Sunshine & Rain”, a space to share what’s going well and the challenges we’re facing. Afterward, we take a moment together in silence, holding one another with care and support.
Bring a friend, a colleague, or just yourself. No matter your background or beliefs, Refresh is a space for everyone to breathe, recharge, and feel connected. We can’t wait to see you there!
8:30 PM – 10:30 PM
The BW & Berea Community MLK Week 2026 Planning Committee and the BW Film Sociey invite you all to enjoy a free screening of the film, "Selma" (2014).
Directed by Ava DuVernay, "Selma" tells the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign for equal voting rights and the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1964.
This is a free screening with limited seating.
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Women in History actress Robin Echols Cooper will portray Fannie Lou Hamer, who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential voices of the civil rights movement.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Berea Library, this special program on the National Day of Racial Healing is presented in partnership with Baldwin Wallace University and the Berea community as part of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week 2026. Registration is requested.
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Sponsored by Mt. Zion Baptist Church
200 Mt. Zion Way
Berea, OH
Speaker: Deacon Harold Stewart, "We've all Been Affected"
Join us for a reflective celebration featuring music, readings and keynote speaker Deacon Harold Stewart.
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
To volunteer, please register or click here: https://cglink.me/2pB/s90634
(Walk-ins also welcome!)
During this campus- and community-wide service project, volunteers will work collaboratively on two hands-on initiatives:
Creating winter care kits for unhoused members of our local community
Preparing and sorting books for the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank, supporting literacy access throughout Northeast Ohio
We hope you will consider joining us in this important work.
The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Center for Innovation & Growth (CIG) located at 340 Front Street in Berea.
How You Can Support
In addition to volunteer participation, we are also:
Collecting non-perishable food items to benefit the BW Campus Cupboard, supporting students experiencing food insecurity
Accepting donations of gently used & new children's books to benefit the Cleveland Kids' Book Bank
All contributions of time, resources and/or service make a meaningful difference.
Sat, Jan 24, 2026 5:00 PM
View artwork created by Berea Midpark High School students. The students’ pieces are inspired by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week 2026 theme, "Building the Beloved Community".
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week is a partnership between Baldwin Wallace University and Berea community organizations.
Berea Public Library Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday / 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday & Saturday / 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sat, Jan 24, 2026 5:00 PM
Stop by Strosacker Hall and the Berea Public Library to create artwork or write a message to be included in murals reflecting the theme of Building the Beloved Community.
Rev. Dr. Marting Luther King Jr. Week is a partnership between Baldwin Wallace University and Berea community organizations.
Please don't forget to check out all the events at Berea Public Library.
Berea Public Library Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday / 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday & Saturday / 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Hosted By
Co-hosted with: Baldwin Wallace University (OWNER), Black Student Alliance (BSA), Center for Inclusion (CFI), Office of Spiritual Life, Worldviews & Interfaith Social Ethics Center (WISE)