Thursday, January 15, 2026
6:30 PM

31st Annual MLK Birthday Observance ”We Got Us: Health & Care Beyond Capitalism” 
Featuring keynote remarks by Dr. Ricardo Nuila | Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics & Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine
Pay What You Can $5-25, general admission chair seating
Followed by reception & book signing of The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine

In 1979, the Rothko Chapel began its annual MLK Birthday Observance to connect the contemporary implications of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy to the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights, reflected through artist Barnett Newman’s sculpture Broken Obelisk (1968) on the Plaza dedicated to Dr. King. From 2024–2026, Rothko Chapel Public Programming focused on health justice and equity, centering conversations, performances, and meditations on community wellness. As we navigated a world that was increasingly violent, stressed, sick, isolated, and divided, the program explored our unique responsibilities and capacities to contribute to collective physical and spiritual health.

Dr. King emphasized that access to quality healthcare was a fundamental human right, and he demonstrated how systematized poverty and worker exploitation functioned as governmental policies of disease and violence. This year’s program explored the relationships between health accessibility and economic systems, noting barriers to care under capitalism as well as creative, community-based efforts that offered collective health services outside traditional models. Dr. Ricardo Nuila delivered a keynote address, followed by a panel conversation with Houston-based advocates focused on supporting broader health ecosystems beyond the medical industrial complex. The panel included moderator Josie Pickens, Program Director of upEND Movement; panelist Krish Gundu, Executive Director of Texas Jail Project; and panelist Kay Matthews, Executive Director of Shades of Blue Project.

About the Presenters
Over his decade-long career as a practicing physician, Dr. Ricardo Nuila’s firsthand experiences fueled his writing on health disparities, healthcare policy, and the interface between art and medicine. His debut book, The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, detailed the stories of five Houstonians unable to access healthcare in his hometown of Houston, Texas. The book was selected as a semifinalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and was named one of the Best Books of 2023 by Amazon, Kirkus Reviews, and The Washington Post.

Community Partners
The program was joined by additional community organizations that shared information on how to support collective well-being beyond the medical industrial complex, highlighting the vital work of neighbors and partners across Houston.