2026 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Sun., January 18 – Sat., January 24, 2026
MLK Jr. Kids Day
Sunday, January 18 | 3 p.m.| James Monroe High School
Children from the local Fredericksburg area are invited to enjoy games, activities, and crafts to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the annual community MLK celebration. The event is sponsored by the Partnership for Excellence. Students are asked to register online on MyUMW.
The University of Mary Washington Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Speaker: Kaye Savage
Wednesday, January 21 | 7 p.m. | Chandler Ballroom C, Cedric Rucker University Center
She worked in the White House during Ronald Reagan’s administration to establish the Historical Black College and Universities (HBCUs) Initiative. A few years later, she served as the Program Manager for the District of Columbia Family Education Network, a special parent training initiative of Fight for Children and was the founding National Director for the 21st Century School Fund, a national non-profit focused on improving the quality of public-school buildings in urban areas. Additionally, she was the Founder and former CEO of Excel Academy Public Charter School in Washington, the first and only public school for girls in the District of Columbia. Excel opened in August of 2008 with 134 preschool, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten scholars. In school year 2014-15, Excel served more than 725 preschool through sixth grade scholars. Consequently, she founded CNXIS Consulting, LLC to provide services to public and private clients in the areas of adult education and workforce development.
Kaye attended Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia, completed her undergraduate education at Howard University, where she earned both a Bachelor and a Master of Science degrees, with high honors. She was awarded an Intergovernmental Fellowship during her tenure at the Department of Housing and Urban Development earning her MPA from the University of Southern California. Furthermore, she is a Building Excellent Schools Fellow, a former member of the Board of Trustees for the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, a founding member of the National Network of Schools in Partnerships and served as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for The United Planning Organization of Washington, DC. Recently, she completed the Executive Non-Profit Management Program at Harvard Business School.
MLK Jr. Day of Service
Saturday, January 24 | 1 pm – 4 pm | Chandler Ballroom, Cedric Rucker University Center
Co-Sponsored by COAR
Join your fellow students to celebrate our national Day of Service on the UMW campus. The MLK Day of Service is a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision with service projects for Fredericksburg-area agencies. Observed each year as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage everyone to volunteer to improve their communities. Refreshments will be provided.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, please contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at (540) 654-1044 or visit students.umw.edu/multicultural. Please email us at jfmc@umw.edu if you have any questions regarding disability-related accommodations.