Saint Louis University and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis once again teamed up to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The annual memorial tribute took place Thursday, Jan. 22, in the St. Louis Room at Saint Louis University and featured remarks about King’s legacy, awards, songs and a panel discussion.
Vanessa Bell Armstrong performs at the MLK Memorial Tribute at Saint Louis University on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Donna Bess Myers, former Dean of Students, center, reacts to receiving the Dr. Fran Pestello Belonging Award during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on January 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Lifetime Achievement award winner, Ron Himes, founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, greets a supporter during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Donna Bess Myers, former Dean of Students, left is congratulated during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
SLU Truster Marian “Bo” Mehan, right, embraces Rochelle D. Smith, vice president and Chief Belonging Officer, while receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Featured guest, gospel artist, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, performs during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Rev. Dr. Anthony L. Riley speaks on a panel about the role of the Black church during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Katrina Moore, Ph.D, associate professor of history, speaks on a panel about the role of the Black church during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
From left, Rev. Dr. Anthony L. Riley, Michael P. McMillan, Rochelle D. Smith, and Katrine Moore, Ph.D., participate on a panel about the role of the Black church during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
An attendee records gospel singer Vanessa Bell Armstrong during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
President Edward Feser, Ph.D., speaks during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Rochelle D. Smith, Chief Belonging Officer, speaks during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, speaks during the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Edward Feser, Ph.D., said it was a pleasure to attend his first tribute as SLU’s president. He said we all should continue to draw from Dr. King’s legacy.
“His principles, his words and his leadership speak to us just as powerfully today,” he said.
Feser said with his background in city planning, he’s often thought of King. He often thought about how to reflect real change and provide opportunities for all people. He said King’s work was a “masterclass in organizing people to build community.”
Feser said the best way to honor King was to follow up on ideas on how to improve with concrete actions.
The ceremony featured music from The Coleman Hughes Project. Vanessa Bell Armstrong, a seven-time Grammy-nominated Gospel artist, also performed three songs as the featured guest.
The ceremony closed with a panel discussion featuring Katrina Moore, Ph.D., professor of history, and Rev. Anthony L. Riley, DMin, pastor at Central Baptist Church of St. Louis. The two discussed “The Black Church and the Urgency of Now.”
Both Riley and Moore discussed the importance of history in addressing today's challenges. Riley said the young people of today are often too far removed from the struggles of the past. Moore, as a history professor, encouraged people to read and learn about the past and challenge any preconceived notions.
Honorees
The award winners of the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute on Jan. 22, 2026. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
Every year at the ceremony, members of the community are recognized with awards. Saint Louis University hands out four awards – the Dr. Donald Brennan Humanitarian Award, Dr. Fran Pestello Belonging Award, the Dr. Fred Pestello Leadership for Justice and Service Award and the Dr. Jonathan C. Smith Emergent Student Leader Award. The Urban League hands out Lifetime Achievement and Civic Leadership awards.
The honorees were:
Dr. Donald Brennan Humanitarian Award
The Dr. Donald Brennan Humanitarian Award recognizes an outstanding member of the SLU community who dedicates their time to advocating for equality, inclusivity and access to resources. The award is named after Brennan, a former dean at SLU who championed diversity and social justice.
- Knieba Jones-Johnson (Director of the University Counseling Center)
Dr. Fran Pestello Belonging Award
The Dr. Fran Pestello Belonging Award honors those, like SLU’s first First Lady, who uplift, engage and unite individuals from different experiences while inspiring them to build belonging, resilience and a sense of inclusion in themselves and others.
- Donna Bess Myers (former SLU Dean of Students)
Dr. Fred Pestello Leadership for Justice and Service Award
The Dr. Fred Pestello Leadership for Justice and Service Award honors SLU’s 33rd president’s dedication to justice and community engagement while aligning with the principles of equality, nonviolence and service that Dr. King championed.
- For the Culture STL
- Action St. Louis
Dr. Jonathan C. Smith Emergent Student Leader Award
The Dr. Jonathan C. Smith Emergent Student Leader Award celebrates a student at SLU who possesses an unwavering commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion. The honor is named after SLU’s inaugural vice president for diversity and inclusion.
- Areeb Hasan (Public Health and Social Justice student)
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Urban League’s Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who have demonstrated a lifetime of leadership, service and dedication that has made a profound and lasting impact on the community.
- Marian “Bo” Mehan ('74,'82)
- Herman Lessard
- William Siedhoff
- Ron Himes
Civic Leadership Award
The Urban League’s Civic Leadership Award honors those who have made a meaningful and lasting impact on the civic life of the St. Louis region.
- Regional Business Council
- Terrence Rodgers
