College of Wooster to host MLK Day celebration focused on 'Love in Action'

The College of Wooster will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday, Jan. 19, centered on the theme, “Love in Action: Honoring Dr. King,” with keynote speaker Dr. Afiya M. Mbilishaka, a mental health expert whose work centers on healing justice and community well-being. The College invites students, faculty, staff and the community to engage in exploration and dialogue about issues that connect with King’s work and vision on matters relating to civil rights, social justice, activism, responsibility and engagement.

A prayer breakfast and opening ceremony will take place in Kittredge Dining Hall, 535 E. Wayne Ave., at 9 a.m. The gathering will offer space for reflection and community as the campus comes together to mark the day.

The college also will host a series of Justice Dialogues with morning sessions from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and afternoon sessions from 1:30-3 p.m. in Ruth Williams Hall, 435 E. Pine St.

The dialogues are designed to foster conversation and invite participants to engage with King’s legacy in relation to contemporary social issues including cultivating community and belonging in different contexts, recognizing discrimination, and understanding the immigration crisis. Learn more about the Justice Dialogues at www.wooster.edu/mlk.

The day will conclude with the keynote address from Mbilishaka at 3:30 p.m. in Gault Recital Hall inside Scheide Music Center, 525 E. University St. Mbilishaka, a licensed clinical psychologist, therapist, consultant, professor, research scientist, speaker, hair historian and natural hairstylist, is the founder of PsychoHairapy, a nationally recognized approach that uses hair care as an entry point into mental health and healing within black communities.

She also is the owner of Ma’at Psychological Services, a private practice focused on promoting balance and restoring order in the lives of her clients. Her clinical and scholarly work centers on traditional African cultural rituals and holistic mental health practices for contemporary contexts.

Mbilishaka earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Howard University after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently an assistant professor of Africana studies and psychology at Wellesley College and serves as the principal investigator of the HAIR Lab with her student researchers.

Mbilishaka has published over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, seven book chapters and three books, and she has presented her work at more than 50 universities and conferences nationally and internationally. She is a former president of the Association of Black Psychologists, Washington, D.C. chapter, and has been recognized as a subject matter expert by both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, where she has testified in support of the CROWN Act, legislation protecting against hair-based discrimination. She has trained hairstylists around the world to serve as mental health advocates and now leads international cultural and mental health-focused learning experiences.

As part of the MLK celebration, the college will host a soup and bread lunch Wednesday, Jan. 21 in Kittredge Dining Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with proceeds going toward lowering student lunch debt at Wooster City Schools. An art project completed in continued engagement with Wooster City Schools and local nonprofit organizations also will be displayed on campus.

The college encourages participation from all members of the campus community including students, faculty, staff and members of the greater Wooster community. Together, these events reflect the college’s ongoing commitment to honoring King’s legacy through reflection, dialogue and action.

More information about the MLK Day celebration including updates to the schedule and event locations can be found at www.wooster.edu/mlk.