By Anna Williams

On Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, the University of Louisville’s Martin Luther King (MLK) Day of Service celebrated their 31st anniversary of operation.

For the past 31 years, U of L has offered a space for students to come together and serve the Louisville community on campus. Louisville’s efforts have put into practice what MLK advocated for in the 20th century. 

During MLK Day of Service, nonprofit organizations from around the city offer opportunities for students to participate in acts of service during the morning and afternoon of MLK Day. Each year, the service coordinators of the Engage Lead Service Board at U of L are tasked with coordinating MLK Day of Service This year, Kara Beth Poe and Annalise Hale had the privilege of partaking in that task.

Poe and Hale have been planning the service event since Oct. 2024 and expressed excitement about the opportunity to give back to the Louisville community.

“We hope to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., provide a space for students to give back to their community, and become better acquainted with the people and issues that surround the university,” said Poe and Hale.

Despite his fame revolving around civil rights, MLK had a passion for community service. He once said, “Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great because greatness is determined by service…you only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”

That is why Congress, in 1994, declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a National Day of Service. This day’s purpose was no longer to solely honor King’s efforts to unite Americans, but also to encourage Americans to serve their communities as a means to move closer to King’s version of a “beloved community.”

U of L took this initiative and ran with it, as the university has honored this Congressional Day of Service for all 31 years of its operation. Because of this commitment from U of L, students have an opportunity every school year to be united through service.

Personally, I have experienced the impactful nature of MLK Day of Service through my own participation in the campus-wide service event. I was able to intimately connect with non-profit organizations around Louisville that had similar values as I did regarding our desire to positively engage with the city of Louisville’s needs. 

Besides being a space to serve the Louisville community with your peers, MLK Day of Service also focuses on connecting U of L students with Louisville non-profit organizations for routine service commitments.

From my participation, I was able to connect with The Rosewater Bookstore and commit to serving weekly. Aiding in the accessibility of literature is a cause that is important to me, and being able to continually aid this cause through my service at The Rosewater Bookstore gives me great delight.

Attending a university that prioritizes community engagement on campus through service is tremendously special. MLK Day of Service acts as a catalyst of U of L’s mission to unite students with the city of Louisville through service.