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“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Where do we go from here?" 1967
Each year, Northwest celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the third week of January. The 2026 theme, “Building Community Connection,” reflects Dr. King’s enduring call to strengthen our shared humanity through empathy, collaboration and service. We believe your work and voice align powerfully with this message, and we would be honored to have you share your insights and experiences with our students, faculty, staff and community partners.
Join us for a special screening of “Ruby Bridges” at The Hangar movie theater, hosted in partnership with the School of Education. This powerful film tells the true story of Ruby Bridges, the first African American child to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South, whose courage became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
Stay after the film for a discussion led by Northwest Assistant Professor Dr. Cynthia Schairer-Kessler to explore the film’s historical context, connection to education, and relevance to today’s classrooms and communities.
This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend and join the conversation.
Northwest Professor of History Dr. Elyssa Ford will discuss the history of Emancipation Day. The day was celebrated by African Americans across the United States to commemorate the end of slavery. These celebrations took place in Nodaway County between the 1880s and 1930s.
This event is free an open to the public.
In partnership with the Black Student Union, join us for an evening of powerful expression and connection at Let the People Speak, a spoken word and open mic experience that celebrates community voices and shared stories. Through poetry, music and performance, participants will explore themes of unity, identity and the ongoing effort to create a more compassionate and inclusive world.
All are welcome to listen, perform and be inspired.
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy, Northwest will host its annual MLK Peace Luncheon. Enjoy lunch and fellowship with colleagues, students and members of the Northwest community while the program features music, a keynote address by Northwest alumna Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge and the presentation of Community Impact Awards.
Community Impact Award
The Community Impact Award honors faculty, staff, students and community members whose exceptional service embodies the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recipients demonstrate a sustained commitment to the well-being and continual improvement of Northwest and the broader Maryville community.
Nominations should highlight individuals whose volunteerism, engagement, scholarship, research, teaching, or program development have brought about positive, lasting change and reflect Dr. King’s vision of justice, equity, and collective responsibility.
Community Impact Award Nomination
Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2025.
A proud 1991 graduate of Northwest, Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge has devoted her life to advancing excellence, equity and justice through leadership, education and community service. A native of St. Louis, she embodies Northwest’s core values and leads with purpose, integrity and compassion in every sphere of her work.
As an undergraduate student at Northwest, she led the effort to establish the Pearls of Essence Interest Group of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., inspired by St. Louis native and AKA founder Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. Her early leadership, including service as program chair of the Alliance of Black Collegians, now the Black Student Union, laid the foundation for a career defined by courage, accountability and impact.
Westbrooks-Hodge recently retired as a general partner at Edward Jones Investments, where she led enterprise-wide technology audit and risk strategy. Her three-decade career included senior leadership roles with Express Scripts, Anheuser-Busch and Bank of America, where she built nationally recognized programs in governance, risk management and operational excellence.
In addition to her bachelor's degree in finance from Northwest, she holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and professional certifications in financial, operational and information systems auditing.
Westbrooks-Hodge also serves on the Missouri State Board of Education, where she helps shape statewide education policy, chairs the Strategic Planning Committee and serves on the Governor’s School Funding Modernization Task Force. Additionally, she is president of the Celia Newsom Legacy Foundation, which preserves the story of her second great-grandmother, an enslaved Missouri woman whose 1855 act of self-defense against sexual violence and subsequent execution stand as a defining moment in the state’s legal and moral history.
Beginning Jan. 17, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will collect school supplies for the students at East High School in Kansas City, Missouri. School supply packets will be assembled in the Center for Engagement and Community Connection on Friday, Jan. 25.
Needed items include composition books, highlight, pens and pencils, calculators, colored copy paper, winter gloves, scarves and hats.
Drop-off locations:
