Martin Luther King III, a civil rights activist, global humanitarian, political leader, and eldest son of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will serve as featured speaker for the 37th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, which will take place virtually on Sunday, Jan. 30. Registration for the event is free and open to all on Syracuse University’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration website.
This annual event at Syracuse University is the largest of its kind on a college campus. The program seeks to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and is intended to be a direct expression of Syracuse University’s commitment to advancing academic excellence in a University welcoming to all. This year’s theme is “We Are Part of the Dream.”
As the eldest son of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parent’s legacy of nonviolent social change. A graduate of his father’s alma mater, Morehouse College, Mr. King has promoted peace, led demonstrations, and pushed for effective legislation through innovative strategies and inspiring action to drive institutional, political, and social movements. King has served as elected member of the Board of Commissioners for Fulton County, Georgia, elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and president and CEO of the Atlanta-based King Center. As founder and president of Realizing the Dream, Inc., King took his father’s message to a global audience, spearheading nonviolence training in Bosnia Herzegovina, India, Israel & Palestine, Kenya, Sri Lanka and the United States. He also co-founded Bounce TV, the first independently owned and operated TV network featuring African Americans.
“We are overjoyed to welcome Martin Luther King III as our featured speaker,” said the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “As we seek to honor the life and legacy of a leader who brought hope and healing to our world, the opportunity to feature Martin Luther King III is an exciting and historic opportunity, and his presence and participation will surely have a longstanding and powerful impact for our campus community.”
This year marks the 37th year for the MLK Celebration, which will include King’s address, campus community performances, and presentation of this year’s Unsung Hero Awards. Due to COVID-19 and a commitment to health and safety, the 2022 MLK Celebration will be held fully online on Sunday, Jan. 30, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and captioning will be available for the event.
1965 Recording of Dr. King at SU In July 1965 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the campus of Syracuse University and spoke at Sims Hall.
He was introduced by his longtime friend and Syracuse faculty member Dr. Charles Willie. This recording of his speech comes from the Syracuse University Archives.
