All members of the Wesleyan community are invited to attend the annual commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. Dorceta E. Taylor, a leading voice in the environmental justice movement, will deliver the keynote address, titled "Different Shades of Green or Beyond the Farm" at 4:15 p.m. on Jan. 29 in Memorial Chapel. A desert reception will follow. Taylor is professor, James E. Crowfood Collegiate Chair, and director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Michigan. She is past chair of the environment and technology section of the American Sociological Association. In addition to the Wesleyan community,…

Anti-racist activist Tim Wise will deliver the keynote address at Wesleyan's Celebration of the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 31. His talk begins at 3:15 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. A reception and book signing will follow in the Zelnick Pavilion. Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States. Named one of “25 Visionaries Who are Changing Your World,” by Utne Reader, Wise has spoken in all 50 states, on over 800 college and high school campuses, and to community groups across the nation. Wise is the author of seven books,…

Dynamic filmmaker and educator Shakti Butler will be the keynote speaker at Wesleyan’s Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Friday, Feb. 1. “Diversity University: From Theory to Practice,” is the theme of this year’s daylong commemoration. Butler, a prominent speaker on racial equity, is the producer of documentaries including The Way Home; Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible, and Light in the Shadows. She is frequently hired by companies seeking a catalyst for change and uses audience participation and often, clips from her films, in her public appearances. A multiracial African-American woman (African, Arawak Indian and Russian-Jewish), Butler has worked…

“Education Reform and Youth Empowerment” was the topic of renowned educator Geoffrey Canada, the featured speaker at this year’s Martin Luther King Celebration on Jan. 21 in Memorial Chapel. Canada, who was featured in the recent documentary Waiting for Superman, has dedicated the past 20 years of his life to helping the most impoverished, at-risk youth beat the odds. His idea of educational change is predicated on a simple yet radical idea: to change the lives of inner city kids we must simultaneously change their schools, their families, and their neighborhoods. Through programs such as the Beacon School, Community Pride Initiative, Harlem…