Student Center South displays the MLK Gallery Exhibit on Friday Jan. 16, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

To honor the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day, Jan. 19, the Center for Student Advocacy and Community organized a series of events over two weeks, including a photo exhibit highlighting King’s life, milestones and legacy.

The exhibit, located in Student Center South, features photographs intended to showcase pivotal moments in King’s leadership during the civil rights movement and the lasting impact of his work.

“The goal is to present a collection that is historically grounded and deepens awareness of aspects of the civil rights movement,” said a UH spokesperson. “We hope this collection will invite personal reflection and meaning making.”

This year’s theme for MLK celebrations is “Hope: The Foundation for Action.”

Students said they felt more enlightened after viewing the exhibit.

“I view the exhibit as a reminder of the injustices that Black and brown people had to go through,” said public policy freshman Dazani Ramirez-Gaytan.

Several photos depict King speaking and leading demonstrations, including the 1965 civil rights march in Montgomery, Alabama; the Alabama marches; a rally in Lakeview, New York; and a 1966 event in which King led African American students into Mississippi’s newly integrated public schools.

Students said the images emphasized King’s courage and leadership.

“My favorite pictures are the ones where he is leading all the protesters,” said psychology freshman Taelynn Price. “It shows how he stood up for so many people.”

Other images focus on King’s 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. One photograph shows King embracing his wife, Coretta Scott King, after learning he had won the award.

Another image features the memorial sculpture “The Embrace,” which depicts four intertwined arms symbolizing the embrace shared by King and his wife.

UH officials said the sculpture was included to highlight the personal support systems behind King’s activism.

“The sculpture is meant to give viewers a different entry point into the story — the human relationships behind public leadership,” said a UH spokesperson. “Including it supports the exhibit’s purpose of recognizing historical milestones through visuals that resonate in different ways.”

Another featured photograph is an aerial image taken Aug. 28, 1963, showing King standing at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech advocating for civil rights and economic justice.

“We included images like this because they help viewers see Dr. King not as an abstract historical figure, but as someone whose impact came through real decisions, real risks and real persistence,” said a UH spokesperson.

Students said the exhibit serves as a reminder that King’s advocacy helped pave the way for interracial relationships today.

“I’m Black, my roommate is Mexican and my best friend is white,” Price said. “Because of MLK, we are friends and can coexist.”

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