The Division of Community, Engagement, Belonging and Access has announced several events to celebrate the 43rd annual 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Month, with PJ Morton headlining this year’s events.
“Clemson’s annual MLK Commemorative Celebration is more than just a tradition—it’s a powerful reminder of our shared responsibility to honor Dr. King’s legacy through reflection, service, and community,” said Rebecca Harkless, Director of the Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center.
“From our roots as a student-led initiative in 1982 to the multi-day experience it is today, this celebration continues to bring our campus and community together in meaningful ways.”
A soul singer, songwriter, performer and producer based in New Orleans, Morton is a five-time GRAMMY award winner and 20-time nominee who has earned multiple BET, Soul Train and NAACP Image Awards nominations. On top of running his record label, Morton Records, and serving as Maroon 5’s full-time keyboardist for the past 14 years, he has collaborated with multiple hip-hop and R&B artists, including Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste, Nas, Lil Wayne, JoJo, Yebba, Jill Scott and many others.
In 2024, Morton became the first Black composer to write an original song for a Disney attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, now open at Disney World and coming soon to Disneyland. Morton also wrote the closing song for Regina King’s Netflix film Shirley and is working on music for an unannounced Dr. Seuss series. He also released Cape Town to Cairo, an album entirely written, recorded and produced during a 30-day trip across Africa, and published a new book titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, which was released November 12.
