The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation returns to Albion on Monday, Feb. 16, bringing together the college and wider community to explore the often-overlooked role of Black educators in the Civil Rights Movement. The event is free and open to the public, thanks to its co-sponsors.

Dr. Derrick P. Alridge, the Philip J. Gibson Professor of Education at the University of Virginia, will speak at 7 p.m. at the Bohm Theatre. Alridge will deliver a keynote address titled “Teachers as Footsoldiers in the Civil Rights Movement.” This year’s theme, Teaching the Dream, focuses on Black teachers as frontline activists who promoted freedom and democracy through their daily work in segregated schools.

Alridge, a former South Carolina high school teacher, founded the “Teachers in the Movement” oral history project, which has conducted more than 500 interviews with educators who taught during the Civil Rights era. The project documents how teachers engaged in activism through their classrooms while often facing discrimination themselves. “When an elder dies, his library burns down,” Alridge has said, quoting an African proverb that drives his work to preserve these stories before they are lost.

“This annual event is one of many wherein our campus and the Albion community gather to reflect and have dialogue about issues of shared focus and opportunity,” said Albion College President Wayne Webster. “The theme of this year is of particular relevance to both campus and town as we consider the role of education and educators in advancing and sustaining civil rights.”

The convocation is a joint effort between the Albion Branch NAACP and Albion College, which share the costs of bringing the event to the community each year. Co-sponsors include the Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, the Curtis Institute, and the Office of Belonging. 

Originally scheduled for January 26 — one week after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to allow Albion College students to return from break — the event was postponed when Dr. Alridge requested a later date due to the severe ice and cold weather gripping the region. It has been rescheduled to Monday, Feb. 16, which falls on Presidents’ Day.

The full program reflects the deep college-community partnership at the heart of this annual tradition. In addition to Alridge’s keynote, Professor of History Emeritus Wesley Dick will offer a brief history of the convocation. Rivkah Gamble, associate director of belonging, will give remarks, and Pastor Rachel Labram of Albion’s First United Methodist Church will deliver the invocation. Musical selections will be provided by the Albion Concert Choir, with additional contributions from student leaders and representatives of the Albion Branch NAACP.

The annual convocation draws students, longtime residents, clergy, and families into the Bohm for an evening of reflection, conversation, and music. The gathering typically includes performances by Albion College musicians and contributions from local churches. Attendees usually join together in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the Black national anthem, with the words printed in the program.

The Bohm Theatre has served as the venue for the MLK Convocation since 2015, when the college-community partnership moved from campus locations such as Goodrich Chapel and Norris Science Center to the restored downtown theater. The Bohm, which had fallen into neglect before its restoration was completed in 2014, offers a shared civic space at the heart of the community — a fitting setting for an evening centered on civil rights and common purpose.

Albion Branch NAACP President Ronnie Sims, who took the helm of the branch in 2025, described the convocation as a true collaboration. “It is a joint effort,” Sims said. “The NAACP and Albion College share the costs to put on this event each year.”

The Albion Branch NAACP, founded in 1933, remains active on multiple fronts in 2026. Sims said the branch currently has about 180 members and is undertaking its first-ever strategic planning sessions to sharpen its focus on mission and goals. “Civil rights and advocacy,” Sims said, when asked what the branch focuses on today. The branch has also recently joined a coalition of groups signing a letter to Calhoun County Sheriff Hinckley requesting a meeting to discuss Homeland Security and ICE activity in Calhoun County.

The public is also invited to an upcoming Founders Day celebration hosted by the Albion Branch NAACP on Sunday, Feb. 22, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Bohm Theatre. The free event will include youth performances, a movie, and refreshments, and is open to the public.

Membership in the NAACP is open to all. Dues increase nationally on March 1, making now a good time to join. More information is available at albionnaacp.org.

See the article from the Albion College student newspaper, The Pleiad: https://albionpleiad.com/2026/02/teaching-the-dream-with-derrick-alridge-at-annual-mlk-convocation/