Otterbein University will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 20, 2026, starting at 3 p.m. in Cowan Hall with its annual convocation featuring a keynote address by N. Malik Crosswhite. The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace and Justice Awards will be announced at the convocation.
The theme of this year’s event, Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way, reflects King’s commitment to building the Beloved Community: a world where injustice ends, violence is replaced by compassion, and love becomes the prevailing force.
Following the convocation, members of the Otterbein community and the public are invited to participate in the annual MLK Day Service Event from 5-7 p.m. at the Campus Center. Volunteers can sign-up for to help with a variety of tasks (e.g., packing food, assembling snack bags, cutting plarn, or making fleece blankets, etc.) by registering here: MLK Service Day Registration. Send questions to Micia Clemmons at mlclemmons@otterbein.edu.
Event Details:
- 3 p.m.: MLK Convocation, Fritsche Theatre at Cowan Hall, 30 S. Grove St.
- 5-7 p.m.: MLK Day Service Event, Campus Center, 100 W. Home St. Contact Micia Clemmons at mclemmons@otterbein.edu.
2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation Keynote Speaker: N. Malik Crosswhite
N. Malik Crosswhite is a community advocate and campus pastor with a deep commitment to human dignity, empathy, social responsibility, and courageous truth-telling. His perspective on the national theme, “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way,” is informed by these commitments, as well as his academic studies and lived experiences. Crosswhite serves as a campus pastor with the historic Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, a role that has strengthened his commitment to empathy, justice, and inclusive community care. His ministry and advocacy are further informed by his completion of a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, through which he developed a disciplined, compassionate presence at the intersection of faith, trauma, and institutional systems.
Crosswhite holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial systems from The Ohio State University and is pursuing a master of divinity degree at Trinity Lutheran Theological Seminary, where his academic formation bridges systems thinking, ethics, and public theology.
N. Malik Crosswhite