BUCKHANNON, West Virginia  – West Virginia Wesleyan College will come together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19.

The annual dinner will begin at 5 p.m. in the French See Dining Room side dining hall. Keynote speaker Danielle Walker will speak around the theme of Non-violence 365: Creating a Community of Peace and Love. The dinner is hosted by the Center for Cultural and International Affairs.

Walker is a former West Virginia House of Delegates member for District 51 and 81 is the former vice chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party.  She is now a consultant, motivational speaker and writer. Walker has received the West Virginia American Civil Liberties Union Roger N. Baldwin Award. Through her advocacy and activism, the West Virginia University Center for Black Culture and Research presented Walker with the 2022 Martin Luther King Achievement Award.

The dinner buffet will include slow-roasted roast beef, roasted turkey, garden salad, caesar salad, potato salad, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, California veggie blend, grilled vegetable bowtie pasta, rolls and desserts. The meal is free for students. Guests are $14.

Christiana Mande ‘27 will be a vocalist for the program. Matthew Harris, Minister of Music at New New Hope Baptist Church in Beckley, West Virginia, will also sing.

Sneha Sundaraneedi ‘27, president of the International Student Organization, will introduce Walker. 

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for 135 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2026 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026  Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan second in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and counseling; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.