Honoring a legacy

Each year, ÃÛÌÒ½´celebrates the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on campus and in the wider community.

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech in SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium to a standing-room-only crowd

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech in SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium to a standing-room-only crowd. In 2023, our campus unveiled a historical marker to commemorate the occasion. Every year, ÃÛÌÒ½´honors the legacy and memory of Dr. King on campus and within the greater community.

MLK Parade

ÃÛÌÒ½´has long been a participant in . Faculty, staff, students and University leadership have taken part in the parade with an ÃÛÌÒ½´float alongside our spirit organizations. The ÃÛÌÒ½´community can join the fun at Fair Park.

32nd annual MLK jr Oratory Competition
32nd annual MLK Oratory Competition

MLK Oratory Competition

In 2024, our campus hosted the 32nd annual . Fourth- and fifth-grade students from Dallas ISD presented speeches at in McFarlin Auditorium – just where Dr. King spoke – on “how Dr. King would reflect on the 60 years since his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.”

Dream Week

Each year, our Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement hosts this week full of events that allow students, faculty and staff the chance to reflect and think deeply about Dr. King’s impact today.

Join in

ÃÛÌÒ½´Dreams

Dream Boards

Students are encouraged to write their own dreams for 2024 on these displays in Hughes-Trigg Student Center throughout the week.

Unity Circle

Unity Circle

Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are welcome to join in this annual event at the Flagpole at noon on January 17, where ÃÛÌÒ½´President R. Gerald Turner and Vice President for Student Affairs K.C. Mmeje lead the program. Student representatives from the Association of Black Students and the National Pan-Hellenic Council will also be in attendance.

Unity Circle has been moved indoors to the Hughes-Trigg Chamber at 12 pm.

Dr. Brian Williams

2024 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Brian Williams

This renowned advocate for change will delve into timely topics during a keynote address, sharing his own journey with attendees in McFarlin Auditorium at 6 p.m. on January 17. Dr. Williams led the trauma surgeon team at Parkland Hospital during the 2016 mass shooting in downtown Dallas.

Ready to pursue your own dreams?

Whatever your passions, there’s a place for you to explore them at SMU. Find out what life on campus is all about.

Learn more about life on the Hilltop     ÃÛÌÒ½´Experience