BRIDGEWATER, VA (Rocktown Now) – Bridgewater College (BC) invites members of the community to its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, “Celebrating the Dream, Continuing the Journey,” in partnership with the town of Bridgewater.

The celebration will begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Oakdale Park, 134 Mt. Crawford Ave. in Bridgewater. The march will begin with remarks from BC President David Bushman and Bridgewater Mayor Ted Flory, as well as a BC student.

At the conclusion of the march, guests are invited to a reception in the Boitnott Room, located in Rebecca Hall on the College’s campus. Participants are encouraged to park in the Kline Campus Center parking lot, 410 East College Street, and walk to Oakdale Park.

Community members are also invited to join Bridgewater students in a service project from 1-3 p.m. at the Funkhouser Center, 117 College View Drive. Volunteers will work with organizers from Rise Against Hunger to package food for distribution around the world.

Part of BC’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a lecture on Wednesday, January 21, by author and educator Irshad Manji.

Manji is the founder of Moral Courage College, an organization that equips people worldwide to turn heated issues into healthy conversations and sustained teamwork.

She will give a talk entitled “Moral Courage: How to Make a Difference in a Messy World.”

After her talk, Manji will sign copies of her latest book, “Don’t Label Me: An Incredible Conversation for Divided Times.” The endowed lecture is sponsored by the Anna B. Mow Symposium on Comparative Religious Ethics.

Manji’s talk will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall on the BC campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and a book signing will follow. Parking is available in the adjacent Kline Campus Center parking lot, 410 East College Street, Bridgewater.

For more information, visit Bridgewater College, Virginia | Private, Liberal Arts College.