Penn is celebrating its 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Symposium this year with events ranging from workshops to interfaith ceremonies and speeches. 

Events for the symposium began on Jan. 20 and will run through Feb. 2. Here is how The Daily Pennsylvanian’s photographers captured the beginning of the symposium. 

On the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Penn’s African-American Resource Center hosted a kickoff breakfast in the Hall of Flags at Houston Hall that included motivational speakers and singing that paid homage to MLK and his lasting impact on Black youth.

Afterward, volunteers branched off to help in a variety of service projects around campus including “A Pocketbook Full of Toiletries Project” and the “Sock Stuffing Project” to supply personal hygiene items to people staying in shelters.

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Later in the afternoon, volunteers engaged in three MLK Day of Service Community Beautification Projects including one at the Laura Sims Skate House, an Ice Skating rink in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia. 

On campus, the Penn Reads Literacy and Children’s Art Project invited young children to Van Pelt Library to explore and participate in story time and crafts. The day also included a virtual workshop called “So You Want to Go to College?” for older students looking to apply to college.

The Day of Service did not only target humans. The Penn School of Veterinary Medicine hosted its annual Free Dog and Cat Wellness and Vaccination Clinic on Monday. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, at least 200 people had preregistered for the event to bring in about 250 cats and dogs to the clinic. 

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The evening ended with an online event titled “MLK 101: The Man and His Legacy” that included a screening of a section of the documentary “Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings,” as well as a candlelight vigil beginning at the W.E.B. Du Bois House.

The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority also coordinated a candlelight vigil on Monday to commemorate the work and legacy of MLK. Reverend Dr. Chaz Howard, the University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity & Community, spoke before the vigil on the implications of our current political state on Black students at Penn.

“It's important to hear his words,” Howard said. “Not just the kind of safe words, I have a dream speech, but the challenge that he wants to push us to be a little bit more.” 

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On Thursday evening, The Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith and Awards Commemoration — a partnership between The Office of the Chaplain, the Office of the President, and the African-American Resource Center — took place, featuring performances from community groups and a keynote speech from Princeton professor and bestselling author Eddie Glaude. 

The event also included the presentation of four Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Involvement Awards.

Events for the symposium will continue until early February and include performances and workshops. The complete schedule can be viewed here.