VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with community service projects, a march and other events Monday, Jan. 16.

At 10 a.m., the Mu Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the student chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will lead a march to “commemorate King’s contributions to the Civil Rights movement and the progress the country achieved during that decades-long struggle — and to recognize the ongoing pursuit for social justice that continues today,” university representatives said in a statement.

The event is open to the public.

The march will begin at the University Center fountain, travel along Brookwood Drive toward Patterson Street, turn right on Patterson Street and end at the Student Union steps.

Following a candlelight vigil, march participants will have a meal and program featuring Jalen Smith, VSU Student Government Association president, discussing “It Starts With Me: Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset.”

At 1 p.m., VSU volunteers will gather and give back to the community through a series of Day of Service projects, including collecting socks, blankets and pajamas for Bethany Hospice & Palliative Care in Valdosta and Thomasville, saving lives through a OneBlood blood drive and cleaning the campus grounds.

Born in Atlanta, in 1929, King became the iconic face of the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-1900s, dedicating his life to ending racial injustice in the United States until his assassination in 1968.

VSU’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration is presented by the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion, the student chapter of the NAACP, the Mu Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Office of Career Opportunities and Volunteer Services.

Email diversity@valdosta.edu to learn more.