Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

MLK Family Event at King Kennedy Community Center

Kent State's Flashes Fighting Hunger initiative engaged families and the community through an MLK-themed event at Ravenna's King Kennedy Center. 

Brandon Bell singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

A recent graduate lent his voice to an inspiring opening of Kent State's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

Bernice King

Bernice King, daughter of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was frank and direct as she shared insights into racism in America today and her father’s legacy as keynote speaker of Kent State's annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

Dawn Porter Headshot

Kent State will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, to celebrate King’s life and legacy. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter will serve as this year’s keynote speaker. The virtual program is free and open to the public.

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Kent State University will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, to celebrate King’s life and legacy. Serving as this year’s keynote speaker is CNN political analyst and former South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers. The virtual program is free and open to the public.

Melissa Harris-Perry, Ph.D., the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, television host, author and political commentator, served as keynote speaker at Kent State’s 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

On Friday, Jan. 24, members of the Kent State University community and the general public gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration started at 4 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. This year’s keynote speaker was Melissa Harris-Perry, Ph.D., the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, television host, author and political commentator.

Angela Rye meets with Kent State students prior to her keynote speech at the university’s 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

A prominent political strategist, lawyer and advocate for positive change in the political process served as the keynote speaker at Kent State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, joined the university in celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 23 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. 

Kent State students listen to the keynote speaker during the university's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.

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. 

Vice President Alfreda Brown (left) and Dana Lawless-Andric (right) present the 2018 Diversity Trailblazer Award to Kathy Wilson, Ph.D., professor of economics.

For Kathy Wilson, Ph.D., diversity means not just having a campus where everyone should be included, respected and comfortable, but where people actually feel that way.