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Martin Luther King Jr. Initiative

The MLK Initiative: Let Freedom Ring! invites students, faculty and staff to participate in a range of events that celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Coach John Thompson Jr. holds up his right palm and left thumb in front of Georgetown basketball players raising their arms in celebration in a faded photo

Legacy of a Dream Award

The John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award — named for the legendary Georgetown head basketball coach, Washington, DC, native, mentor, advocate and community leader — is awarded each year to an individual or group that has demonstrated outstanding service in the District in Georgetown’s Catholic and Jesuit tradition of being people for others.

A Black male wearing a button-up shirt smiles with his hands clasped while directing a project.

2024 Legacy of a Dream Awardee: Reginald L. Douglas, Mosaic Theater Company

Reginald L. Douglas is the artistic director of the Mosaic Theater Company of DC who aims to use theater to build community and foster change. The Mosaic Theater Company produces bold, culturally diverse theater that illuminates critical issues, elevates fresh voices and sparks connections among communities throughout the DC region and beyond.

Khari Brown

Khari Brown, a leader who’s helped hundreds of low-income students graduate and excel in the workforce, is this year’s recipient of Georgetown’s John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award.

Christopher Bradshaw

Georgetown awards food justice advocate Christopher Bradshaw with the 2021 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award for work through his Dreaming Out Loud nonprofit.

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Let Freedom Ring Celebration

Each year, Georgetown and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a free musical tribute. The annual concert features a headlining performance by a legendary musical artist and special music by Nolan Williams, Jr., music producer and commissioned composer.

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Community Events

Each year, Georgetown honors the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a series of events on campus and in the greater Washington, DC, community that reflect the university’s Catholic and Jesuit values of contemplation in action, cura personalis — care of the person — and being people for others.