The award-winning historian and New York Times best-selling author will present at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation.
Award-winning historian and New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi will be ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp’s keynote speaker at the 2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation, on Wednesday, January 30 at 8 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The event is free and open to the public.
The theme for ¶¶Òô»ÆƬapp’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. observance is “Fighting for Racial Justice: Renewing the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.” A week of programming to celebrate the life and influence of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be held from Jan. 27-Friday, February 1.
Dr. Kendi is a professor of history and international relations, and the founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. He is also an ideas columnist for The Atlantic. His next book, How to be an Antiracist, will be published in 2019.
A frequent speaker and contributor of op-eds, Kendi has written for several publications including Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, The Root, Salon, The New York Times, New York Daily News, Time, Signature, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has appeared as a commentator on local, national, and international radio and television outlets, including NPR, PBS, CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, NBC, Democracy Now!, and Sirius XM.
His 2016 book, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest author to win a National Book Award for Nonfiction. The book was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and a NAACP Image Award. It was selected by several outlets as one of the Best Books of 2016, including by the Boston Globe, The Root, The Washington Post, and Buzzfeed.
The Convocation will be preceded by a dinner and awards presentation. This year’s Vision Award recipients -- individuals who demonstrate a commitment to the ideals and values of Dr. King -- will be honored, as will the winners of the annual essay contest for middle school students.
Ophelie Rowe-Allen, associate dean and director of Residence Life and Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs, and Rachelle Brunn-Bevel, associate professor of Sociology and Anthropology, are co-chairs of this year’s MLK observance, supported by a committee of volunteers.
For more information about this year’s MLK Jr. celebration, please visit fairfield.edu/mlk.
