Author Joy DeGruy, who will deliver this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address, is the latest in a long line of exceptional luminaries in the civil rights field to speak at the University. A fuller list of past speakers is found on the Office of Minority Student Affairs website.
Marc Morial [2016]
President of the National Urban League since 2003 and former mayor of New Orleans, Morial has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential black Americans by Ebony magazine.
Khalil Gibran Muhammad [2015]
Now serving as professor of history, race, and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, Muhammad was executive director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture when he delivered his address. He also provides media commentary on race and related issues.
Benjamin Jealous [2014]
Benjamin Jealous was the youngest president in the history of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Having begun his civil rights career at age 18, Jealous is a senior partner at Kapor Capital, a firm that aims to leverage the tech sector to create progressive social change.
Melissa Harris-Perry [2013]
Harris-Perry is a political analyst, scholar, and professor of political science at Tulane University. At the time of her speech, she also hosted her own current affairs program on MSNBC.
Michael Eric Dyson [2012]
A professor of sociology at Georgetown University and former radio host, Dyson is an author, commentator, and political analyst for MSNBC. Dyson has been named one of the most influential black Americans by Ebony magazine.
Alvin Poussaint [2011]
A Harvard University psychiatrist and noted author, Poussaint has focused his work on the mental health of African Americans. He served as a script consultant to both The Cosby Show and A Different World, working to ensure the sitcoms portrayed a positive image of African Americans and avoided stereotypes. No video available.
Joseph Lowery [2010]
Lowery started working the front lines of the civil rights movement during the mid 1950s alongside King and Rosa Parks. He has served in leadership positions in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Nikki Giovanni [2009]
A writer, activist, educator, and poet—referred to as the “Princess of Black Poetry”—Giovanni has written more than 30 books. She currently holds the title of University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech University. No video available.
Andrew Young [2008]
A former Atlanta mayor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Andrew Young was a top aide to King. Recipient of multiple awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Young is the co-founding principal and chairman of GoodWorks International, a consulting firm that focuses on advancing economic development in Africa and the Caribbean. No video available.
Jesse Jackson [2007]
Like Lowery and Young, Jackson worked with King during the tumultuous civil rights period of the 20th century. A minister, politician, and activist, he has expanded his work across international lines to foster social justice issues. No video available.
