Franklin College will host a series of events in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. All events are free and open to the public.

The day’s events include:

11 a.m. | Branigin Room, Napolitan Student Center, “Painting the Dream”
Open to college-age students and students in grades 6–12, this interactive event is hosted by the College’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Multiple art instructors from Wine and Canvas will guide participants through a step-by-step painting experience accompanied by a special brunch. Attendees will recreate the award-winning painting Hand in Hand by Ciel of The Child Center of NY and will receive a “Dream Kit” as a token of appreciation. Registration is required and closes on Jan. 5, 2026. To register, contact Marlisha Marcellin at MMarcellin@FranklinCollege.edu. This event is made possible by a grant from the Community-Engaged Alliance.

 2 p.m. | Richardson Chapel, Worship Service
In collaboration with the College’s InterVarsity Club and local pastors, this worship service will feature prayer, music, and reflections on King’s enduring impact and message.

 4 p.m. | Richardson Chapel, Convocation Lecture
Franklin College will present the fourth lecture in its 2025–26 Convocation Lecture Series. The lecture, “Constructing King’s Beloved Community Within Our Collective Inner-World,” will be presented by Dr. Danjuma Gibson of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS). Light refreshments will be served following the lecture, and Gibson will sign copies of his most recent book, Through the Eyes of Titans: Finding Courage to Redeem the Soul of a Nation, which is available for purchase on Amazon. Registration for the convocation is requested at bit.ly/MLK-DAY-2026.

Gibson is both a scholar and a licensed professional counselor with experience in theological education, congregational ministry and administrative leadership. Before joining PTS, he served as professor of pastoral theology, care and counseling at Calvin Theological Seminary, where he also designed, launched and directed a new Master of Arts program in clinical mental health counseling. His research has progressed the study of how black and brown communities respond to racial violence and economic factors such as gentrification and disinvestment. Gibson is also the author of Frederick Douglass, A Psychobiography: Rethinking Subjectivity in the Western Experiment of Democracy, and co-editor of Justice Matters: Spiritual Care and Pastoral Theological Imaginations in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Franklin College tradition includes hosting an annual Convocation Lecture Series that promotes the ideals of the institution. The College upholds a common set of values that enhances the community and sustains personal, spiritual and professional growth for a lifetime. The College values people of integrity, a commitment to inclusivity, a culture of intellectual curiosity, the drive for innovation and creativity and the spirit of community.

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.