UPDATED 1/16/19: Please note that registration for the Jan. 23 keynote address is now closed. The registration limit has been met. View the full list of celebratory events at www.kent.edu/diversity/mlk-celebration-calendar-events.
Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, lawyer, political strategist and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, to serve as keynote speaker
A prominent political strategist, lawyer and advocate for positive change in the political process will serve as the keynote speaker at Kent State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, will join the university in celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 23 at 3:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.
Ms. Rye offers regular on-air commentary for several media outlets including BET, CNN, MSNBC and TV One. The depth of her dialogue ranges from political campaigns to complex legislation with long-term national and international implications. From 2011-2013, Ms. Rye served as the executive director and general counsel to the Congressional Black Caucus for the 112th Congress.
In Washington, D.C., Ms. Rye co-founded IMPACT Strategies, an organization that seeks to encourage young professionals in three core areas: economic empowerment, civic engagement and political involvement. Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Ms. Rye learned the importance of advocacy through her family’s political and community activism.
A graduate of the University of Washington and Seattle University School of Law, Ms. Rye currently serves on the boards of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, the Seattle University School of Law Alumni and Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network. She serves as a senior advisor to the Government Technology and Services Coalition, and she is a member of The Links Inc., the National Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Washington Government Relations Group.
Ms. Rye’s keynote address is free to attend, but a ticket is required. Visit www.kent.edu/diversity/MLK to download a free ticket.
As part of the commemoration, the university will announce the 2019 recipients of Kent State’s Diversity Trailblazer Award, which honors diversity pioneers associated with Kent State, and the Unity Award for Diversity, which recognizes the contributions of any Kent State unit that demonstrates significant contributions in the areas of diversity, equity and/or inclusion.
New this year is the Student Diversity Award, which recognizes a student who has demonstrated a respect for, and value of, differing backgrounds and points of view within Kent State or surrounding communities.
The annual MLK Day of Service event on Monday, Jan. 21, from 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. will kick off Kent State’s series of celebratory events. The Day of Service, which is coordinated by the Office of Community Engaged Learning at Kent State, offers university community members the opportunity to engage in service to area nonprofit organizations. The event will open with a performance of “Halim El-Daboots” by the Kent State African Ensemble.
For more information about Kent State’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Jan. 23 and to view a calendar of celebratory events, visit www.kent.edu/diversity/MLK or call 330-672-2442.
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Photo Caption:
Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, lawyer and political strategist, will serve as the keynote speaker at Kent State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The event will take place Jan. 23 at 3:30 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. (Photo provided by Angela Rye)
Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595