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2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

The mission of the ASU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee is to celebrate the legacy and the tenets set forth by Dr. King and his life examples of servant-leadership. Servant leadership is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions.

Servant-leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening and the ethical use of power and empowerment. The ASU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee encourages the continuation of Dr. King’s legacy all year long.

The year 2025 marks the 61st anniversary of Dr. King’s visit to Arizona where he championed the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This momentous occasion occurred several months after the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy, who ardently supported the passage of the bill. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this transformative legislation into law on July 2, 1964. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction and called for the end of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. It ushered in a new era of equality and served as a catalyst for subsequent pivotal civil rights measures. These encompassed safeguards for voting rights, equitable access to housing and education, expanded immigration opportunities from Asia and other previously excluded regions, heightened rights for Native Americans and Tribal Nations, and comprehensive protections for individuals with disabilities. We are continuing to build upon this legacy.