Walk the Walk Week January 24-31, 2026

Learn more

The History Museum and the Studebaker National Museum are offering free admission to their museums on Monday, January 19, in honor of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

Learn more

An annual South Bend event, this breakfast includes a musical performances, a keynote address, and presentations of community service awards.

Learn more

To celebrate the 40th Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19, local leaders are hosting a variety of events to honor King's life and recognize community members who are carrying on his work in South Bend and beyond.

Learn more

For this year's Service Project, co-sponsored by Notre Dame Student Government and the Office of the President, please consider donating classroom, cleaning, and art project supplies for local organizations working with children and teens. 

Donations will be accepted from January 5–21, and can be placed in dropboxes located around campus.

Items can also be purchased through an Amazon wishlist.

All donations will support four local organizations serving individuals in the South Bend community facing hardship and housing insecurity:

• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northern Indiana Corridor
• La Casa de Amistad
• The MLK Dream Center
• Robinson Community Learning Center

Learn more about items requested and donation box locations

All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to volunteer! Together we will sort and package care kits for local organizations serving children and teens. Coffee, snacks, and t-shirts will be provided!

This initiative is co-sponsored by Notre Dame Student Government, the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, and Procurement Services in partnership with the Office of the President.

Register to volunteer

Learn more about the service project

UZIMA! Drum and Dance Company returns with another unforgettable evening of powerful music, movement, and storytelling. Rescheduled from the 2024/2025 season, ASHE: Prepare Ye the Way is a journey down the road less traveled, following in the footsteps of trailblazers such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Mary Church Terrell, and other visionaries who paved the way for peace and progress.

Through the art of music and dance that has transformed the course of humanity, this event honors the legacies of those who fought for justice and unity and invites audiences to reflect on their role in continuing that journey.

Learn more and purchase tickets

This event is part of the Presenting Series' Cultural Collective, programming supporting equitable artistic development in our community.

Join us as two extraordinary leaders reflect with Fr. Dowd on what it means to lead with integrity, moral courage, and hope.

Featuring:

Tracy Graham ’95
Founder and Managing Principal, Graham Allen Partners; University Trustee; Notre Dame Football Student-Athlete, 1992-95

Byron Spruell ’87, MBA ’89
President of League Operations, National Basketball Association; University Trustee; Notre Dame Football Student-Athlete, 1984-87 (Co-Captain: '87)

In conversation with:

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.
University President

Learn more about our keynote speakers »

Watch the livestream:

Join us for prayer and reflection as we renew our commitment to building the Beloved Community–embodying God’s love, justice, and mercy for all–on campus and beyond.

Keynote Reflection

Rev. Hugh R. Page, Jr., Vice President for Belonging, Engagement, and Mission and Advisor to the President

Presider

Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., University President

Following the service there will be a candlelight processtion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue and a dessert reception in the Sister Thea Bowman Center in the LaFortune Student Center.

Presented by Procurement Services, this is your chance to visit with 20 local and small suppliers who offer a variety of goods and services to support our work on campus. Drop in at any time from Noon to 2:00 p.m.

A panel discussion on how racial violence is identified, perpetuated, and confronted in society, with a spotlight thrown on how it is reproduced in the built environment.

Dr. Gwendolyn Purifoye, assistant professor of racial justice and conflict transformation, will moderate this discussion about the ways that racial violence manifests itself both materially and spatially. 

Featured panelists are:

• Dr. Joseph Butler, Assistant Dean for Access, Diversity, and Inclusion - Humanities and Social Sciences, Princeton University
• Dr. Amber Hewitt, Racial Equity Practitioner and Counseling Psychologist
• Dr. Crystal Jackson, Researcher, Evaluator, and Program Strategist, and Founder and President of Good Human, LLC
• Dr. Greg Wilson, Assistant Professor of Management and Public Affairs, The Ohio State University

The event is hosted by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and co-sponsored by the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights, both part of the Keough School of Global Affairs.

The session will be held in person in the Hesburgh Auditorium, in the Hesburgh Center for International Studies, as well as being held live on Zoom. To attend virtually, register here.

All faculty and staff are welcome to join the second annual Walk the Walk Week Beloved Community Gathering, a lunchtime opportunity to come together, share a meal, and reflect on leadership grounded in love and community.

This gathering will feature Dr. Mary Hinton, President of Hollins University, and will center on the theme, "Margins to the Heart: Love as Transformational Inclusion."

A family-style lunch will be provided, and after lunch, we’ll move into facilitated table conversations designed to encourage dialogue, shared stories, and meaningful connection.

Register by January 21

Hosted by the Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission and NDHR.

Tech for Good is an immersive workshop series during Walk the Walk Week that will explore the intersection of technology, culture, and social issues. This unique series brings together a variety of perspectives to examine how technology can be harnessed to address global challenges, promote cultural understanding, and foster positive social change.

Folklore lives in all of us—in what we make, celebrate, and pass down. This collaborative presentation will bring together students from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and academic technologists from the University of Notre Dame to explore how expressive cultural practices can create pathways toward solidarity, dignity, and mutual understanding.

Presenters:

• Meredith Abarca, Professor of Food Studies and Literature, Department of English, University of Texas at El Paso
• Steven Varela, Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, Office of Information Technology, University of Notre Dame

Register to attend

Join the Office of Student Enrichment for an UndocuAlly ND training.

Together we will discuss topics related to the undocumented student experience, and learn and apply (in real-time) best practices for allyship and building inclusive communities with immigrant students.

Register to attend

Hosted by the Initiative on Race and Resilience, this event features Eirinie Carson, a Black British writer based in California and a board member of The Writers Grotto and Mesa Refuge.

Her work appears in LitHub, Electric Literature, The Notre Dame Review, and more. She writes the column “Eirinie Asks” for The Argus Courier. Her memoir The Dead Are Gods (Melville House, 2023) earned acclaim from Oprah Daily, Nylon Magazine, Shondaland, and The Washington Post. She won a Zibby Award and was named a Kirkus Best Book of 2023. Her forthcoming maternal gothic novel, Bloodfire, Baby comes out in March.

The Office of Belonging, Engagement, and Mission—in partnership with Notre Dame Human Resources (NDHR) and the Office of the Provost—is pleased to announce the third annual Inclusive Leadership Colloquium Lecture Series (ILCLS). ILCLS brings insightful and innovative leaders in inclusive practice to Notre Dame, where they will share ideas and best practices around the ways we can work toward creating a local instantiation of the beloved community. 

This session will be a panel discussion featuring Emiliano Aguilar, assistant professor of history; Matthew Bizoe, web and digital content strategist, College of Arts and Letters; Krista Moats, manager of IT Communications and Marketing, Office of Information Technology; and Tiffany Russell, staff social worker, University Counseling Center. With opening remarks from Charles and Jill Fischer Provost John McGreevy.

Register to attend

During Walk the Walk Week 2026, the Notre Dame community will have the opportunity to help Unity Gardens create inviting community garden spaces by sorting bottle caps. The sorted caps will be used to create picnic benches (pictured, right) in their satellite gardens. This volunteer event is high impact with low physical intensity, intended for any students, faculty, and staff to participate in. 

Tech for Good is an immersive workshop series during Walk the Walk Week that will explore the intersection of technology, culture, and social issues. This unique series brings together a variety of perspectives to examine how technology can be harnessed to address global challenges, promote cultural understanding, and foster positive social change. You’ll have the opportunity to experience a variety of thoughtfully selected games that address themes central to our Walk the Walk Week commitment to build the Beloved Community. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to the medium, these accessible experiences invite meaningful reflection and dialogue about how we can better honor the dignity of every person.

Pizza and other junk food provided.

Presenters:

• Dan Johnson, Interim Co-Department Head, Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship
• Crystal DeJaegher, Academic Tech Specialist, Teaching and Learning Technologies, Office of Information Technology
• Randy Harrison, Emerging Technologies Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries
• Steven Varela, Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, Office of Information Technology, University of Notre Dame

Join The Swahili Mass Community of ND for a special edition of their monthly Swahili Mass and fellowship dinner. In the spirit of Beloved Community, all are welcome for a time of prayer and communal connection. Whether you're a native Swahili speaker, you're learning the language, or you're brand new to it, we know that you will find this to be a refreshing time to ground yourself and delight in folks from many different backgrounds.

Rev. David Kashangaki, C.S.C., presiding.

Student Government is proud to host the 4th Annual Black Excellence Dinner. This black tie formal dinner celebrates Black excellence in all aspects of Notre Dame campus life.

The evening will feature a plated dinner, a keynote address, and the recognition of outstanding students, staff, and faculty at Notre Dame.

The Hon. Ann Claire Williams '75, retired judge of the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Of Counsel at Jones Day, and Trustee Emerita at the University of Notre Dame, will offer the keynote address. 

Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., with a coat check available for guests. Nominations for awards can be submitted on this form.

Registration for this event is now closed.

Watch the livestream:

This event is made possible by the generous support of the Division of Student Affairs, Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame Athletics, Hesburgh Program in Public Service, Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights, Notre Dame Alumni Association, Office of Undergraduate Education, Academic Services for Student-Athletes, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Black Alumni of Notre Dame, Transformational Leaders Program, AnBryce Scholars Initiative, Balfour-Hesburgh Scholars Program, College of Engineering, Black Business Association of Notre Dame, Department of Sociology, Initiative on Race and Resilience, and Department of Political Science.

In honor of Walk the Walk Week, pray in the Mary, Queen of Families Chapel at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. This opportunity to worship amidst site-specific installations provides a space to reflect on the connection between liturgy and the arts. Following the Mass, we will offer a five-minute guided exploration of photographs not typically on view, featuring Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.

Seating will be on a first come, first served basis.

Explore photographs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and critical moments of the Civil Rights Movement.These works of art by celebrated photographers dedicated to recording history in the making—including Dan Budnik, Charles Moore, Moneta Sleet, Ernest Withers, and others—will be on temporary view in the Object Study Room.

The photographs reflect the movement's participants’ struggle, courage, and hopefulness. Dr. King described this dynamic as having the faith “to rise from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope” in his October 1963 speech on the Notre Dame campus. Decades later, these photographs continue to resonate with, in the words of Dr. King, “the challenges we face” in the ongoing pursuit of a more just society.

Presenter: Andrew Evans, Visiting Assistant Professor, Health, Humanities, and Society, Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

There are certain topics that students may find triggering and emotionally difficult, including suicidality, self harm, violence, and sexual abuse. It can be tempting to avoid such topics, but these are real and prevalent social ills which ought to be discussed and analyzed in college classrooms. While teaching classes on mental health, which can include intense and upsetting subject matter, Professor Evans has developed strategies to build a sense of trust and camaraderie in the classroom. In this talk, they will discuss their experiences constructing syllabi and assignments, communicating with students, and managing class discussions in ways that help students feel comfortable having uncomfortable conversations.

Sponsored by the College of Arts & Letters Inclusion & Belonging Committee

This student-oriented simulation will immerse participants in the lived experience of individuals returning to our community from prison to develop a better understanding of the systemic barriers they face, as well as the resilience it takes to overcome them. The goal is for participants to both comprehend the difficulty of this reality, and cultivate a deeper understanding of and a stronger sense of accompaniment for our neighbors who are justice-impacted in an enjoyable, fast-paced, and meaningful experience for participants.

Come at 12:30 for opening remarks and brief instructions, then proceed to the activity.

There are limited spaces available, so please RSVP!

This event is hosted by the Institute for Social Concerns.

With 2022's BE-SPOKEN, conductor, vocalist, and composer Emorja Roberson created a living work that adapts to the needs of society. The times have called. Roberson answered with a new version of his roof-raising oratorio. The title is a play on the word "bespoke," and like a custom suit, this concert experience is made to fit—altered with purpose and intention in response to current events, built on the foundations of ancestral memory and the expectation that the arc of the moral universe is still bending toward justice. Drawing from gospel, spoken word, classical, funk, and hip-hop, this work is a lyrical offering—an exploration of Blackness in all its complexity and beauty.

Roberson said, "BE-SPOKEN tends to come around at these moments in our world to reconcile." It's a call to listen to the past, present, and one another. Come with open ears. Leave changed.

Learn more and purchase tickets >>>