Queens College is hosting its annual celebration of the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most prominent MLK Day events in NYC.
The event, which is set to take place on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. at Goldstein Theatre, located on Queens College’s campus at 65-30 Kissena Blvd. in Flushing, is co-sponsored by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. and will feature a keynote address, guest speakers, and a musical performance.
This year’s theme of the decade long annual event will be, “Where do we go from here?” moderated by President Frank H. Wu including a speech by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr., and a keynote address from Carol Jenkins, a journalist, author, and civil rights advocate, who is the 2026 recipient of the Queens College Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award.
“At Queens College, we try every day to live out the values for which Dr. King stood,” said Wu. ” Whether it’s through community projects, advocacy, or educational programs, we’re always looking for ways to strengthen our connections and make a positive impact, both on campus and in our neighborhood.”
Queens College Student Association President Shawn Rajkumar and Queens College Black Student Union President Janil Pandey will bring greetings, and the Tyreek McDole Quintet will perform at the event.
Queens College has hosted the celebration of Dr. King Jr.’s connection to the school, where he delivered a speech in 1965 at Colden Auditorium.
In 1964, then Queens College student Andrew Goodman and fellow activists James Chaney and Michael Schwerner were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan as a result of their voter registration activism in Mississippi. Their deaths spurred public support in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The following spring, Dr. King was the inaugural speaker of Queens College’s John F. Kennedy Memorial Lecture Series, delivering a speech on the impact of peaceful resistance. In 2015, at its 91st commencement ceremony, the college awarded Goodman a posthumous honorary doctoral degree.
“We’re deeply proud of our historic connection to Dr. King,” said Wu. “When he visited this campus in May of 1965, he left us with insights that continue to resonate sixty years later. While our society has moved forward in many ways, we know there is still important work ahead. This is both a moment to honor what’s been accomplished and a reminder to stay committed to creating a fairer, more equitable future.”
The recognition ceremony and keynote address by event honoree Carol Jenkins will take place at 3:00 p.m., followed by the Tyreek McDole Quintet performance at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are available from the college’s Kupferberg Center for the Arts website.
