MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION HISTORY
For many years, Western Michigan University’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee organized a celebration of Dr. King’s life, work and commitment to social justice. During the ensuing years, several major events and numerous smaller ones have been built into what has become an annual celebration that launches in January each year. The campuswide Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration continues to grow and evolve.
2024 MLK CELEBRATION SPEAKER
WMU Students: We want to hear you voice! Give us your input on who the 2024 MLK Day speaker should be!
Your choices are:
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
Dr. Dyson is a political analyst, author, and renowned professor. He currently serves as a professor of African American and Diaspora and Ethics & Society. He has written over 20 books and has received two NAACP Image Awards. The topics of his books are Malcom X, 2Pac, Barack Obama, and MLK. He is a strong voice on the Black experience and systemic racism.
Dr. IIyasah Shabazz
Dr. Shabazz is the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. She is an award-winning author, speaker and educator. She is following in her father’s legacy by being a social justice activist.
Jalen Rose
Rose is a former NBA player and sports analyst for ESPN. Since leaving the NBA, he has been a strong community activist for his native Detroit, MI. He founded the Jalen Rose Academy and has been active in improving the quality of life for African Americans in Detroit.
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates is an author and journalist focusing on civil, political and economic rights of African Americans in the U.S. His work has focused on race in America and how racial inequities continue to impact the experiences in the U.S.
Submit your vote by 5pm Tuesday, September 5.
