51st annual MLK Jr. Banquet brings communities together in ‘Undaunted Hope’

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — With the theme “Undaunted Hope,” the 51st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Banquet gathered hundreds of Penn State and State College community members in the Bryce Jordan Center on the evening of Jan. 15 to honor and celebrate King’s life work and continuing legacy.

The gala event is hosted each year by Penn State's Forum on Black Affairs. The evening included reflections, performances and a buffet dinner, as well as the presentation of annual awards and student scholarships.

Stephanie Danette Preston, president of the Forum on Black Affairs, associate dean for graduate educational engagement and chief diversity officer for graduate education in the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School, presided over the event.

Fotis Sotiropoulos, Penn State executive vice president and provost, welcomed the audience and offered remarks on the theme of undaunted hope and the shared responsibility to continue King’s work of creating a more equal and just society.

“Here at Penn State and in the surrounding communities, we have the advantage of doing this work together,” Sotiropoulos said. “Of holding each other up and reminding one another to believe that meaningful change begins right where we stand.

“We are here. We are undaunted. We are hopeful. We are a community dedicated to bending the arc of history. So, as we honor his legacy of undaunted hope, let us keep in mind his hope to exercise a great and dynamic will,” he continued. “Dr. King said, ‘I'll stand up amid life and the circumstances of life. Every now and then it will push me to this side and to that side, but I will stand up to it. I will not be stopped.’ So do not be stopped. Do not stop. Continue to thrive, continue to hope, continue to work to forge a more equal, just and compassionate society here at Penn State and wherever life may be.”

Jamie Campbell, associate dean for diversity enhancement in the Smeal College of Business, received the 2026 Forum on Black Affairs Humanitarian Award, presented by Preston. Through this award, FOBA annually honors an individual who has provided outstanding service to African American citizens of Pennsylvania, particularly in communities around Penn State’s campuses.

The 2026 Fannie Lou Hamer and W.E.B. DuBois Service Scholarships also were announced during the evening. These annual awards honor the memory of civil rights leaders Hamer and DuBois, and are awarded to full-time, degree-seeking Penn State students who are excellent scholars and actively engaged in service to the African American community.

The 2026 recipients are Gyasi Franklin, cinematography and film/video production student in the Bellisario College of Communications, and Deja Workman, informatics doctoral student in the College of IST, whose current research project focuses on anti­-Blackness in the artificial intelligence development process.

Gary Abdullah Jr., assistant dean for diversity and inclusion in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, offered a blessing of the food. Levon T. Esters, vice provost and dean of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School, and Evan Williams, director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, also spoke about the continuing, enduring message of King's legacy and the importance of community.

In his reflections, Esters talked about the need for authentic, people-centric leadership, and carrying King’s legacy forward, with a challenge to the community.

“Wherever you live, whether in a classroom, sports team, an office, a residence hall, student organization, laboratory, a community organization, a spiritual house or your own family, I encourage you to choose one real, concrete way to practice undaunted hope this year.

What would this look like, you may be asking? I encourage you to speak up when silence will be easy. I encourage you to include someone who has been pushed to the margins or excluded. I encourage you to lead with integrity if no one is watching. I encourage you to lead with a moral compass for love of others. I encourage you to anchor your decision making in sound, fact-driven principles, not convenience, because authentic, people-centric leadership shaped by undaunted hope does not wait for permission. It is a call to action that responds with a sense of purpose and responsibility.

“If each of us in this room tonight commits to these ideas,” he continued, “then Dr. King's legacy does not simply live on words. It lives on in us.”

The audience enjoyed several outstanding performances throughout the evening. Lancaster artivist Sir Dominique Jordan performed spoken-word poetry and involved the audience in call-and-response. The Penn State ensemble Essence of Joy, directed by Arreon Harley-Emerson, assistant professor of choral music, led the audience in the singing of the Black National Anthem, as well as a featured performance during dinner. The United Christian Campus Ministry Choir also was featured in several dynamic performances to the sold-out crowd.

Penn State campuses across the commonwealth are holding events and activities in recognition of MLK Commemoration Week.

The Forum on Black Affairs seeks to form meaningful partnerships with individuals and other organizations, and encourages participation in a shared vision of an improved diverse and inclusive University community. FOBA’s mission is to provide educational opportunities for all citizens and is dedicated to the principle of equality for all people, manifested in a commitment to achieve equal opportunity for Black people at Penn State. Visit the Forum on Black Affairs website to learn more.