The 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast will start at 9 a.m. on Kenyon’s campus in Gambier. The event is free and open to the public and will be held in Peirce Hall’s Thomas Dining Hall, 201 College Park Street. Registration is required.
This year’s theme, “Courage in the Pursuit of Justice and Equality,” will be addressed by keynote speaker Dr. Judy Alston. A professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she is chair of the Department of Educational Leadership, Alston is one of the top scholars in her field.
Alston is the editor of “The Undivided Life,” exploring how faculty of color can survive and thrive within the institution of higher education, and co-author of the textbook “School Leadership and Administration,” used internationally to help principals, administrators and superintendents transform their academic learning into actionable, real-world solutions.
Alston’s scholarship focuses on Black female superintendents, social justice reform, and spirituality, as well as Black LGBTQ+ issues and leadership.
She has a doctorate in educational administration from the Pennsylvania State University, two Masters of Education from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Divinity from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio.
Guests also will hear from Kenyon President Dr. Julie Kornfeld; MVNU President Dr. Carson Castleman; Mount Vernon Mayor Dr. Matthew Starr; and Gambier Mayor Leeman Kessler, a 2004 graduate of Kenyon.
“It is an honor for Kenyon to host this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast with MVNU as we come together to find inspiration and guidance in the life of Dr. King,” Kornfeld said. “What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our shared commitment to justice, compassion and equality, while recommitting ourselves to meaningful dialogue.”
“Our MLK celebration serves as a vital reminder of our shared commitment to justice, equality and community. It brings us together to honor Dr. King’s legacy, reflect on our progress, and renew our dedication to the work that still lies ahead. In unity, we find the strength to uplift each other and forge a path toward a brighter future for all,” said Castleman.
To register for the event, fill out this online form.
There will be other upcoming activities inspired by the legacy of King as well. Students — in conjunction with the Office for Community Partnerships and the campus-wide initiative known as the Generosity Project — will conduct service projects that include musicians performing in local senior living centers and people creating kits to help New Directions in Mount Vernon.
And on Thursday at 11:15 a.m., faculty will lead small-group discussions in Peirce Hall with members of the campus community that connect the life and work of King to the broader themes of a Tuesday lecture by Danielle S. Allen, the James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. Allen's speech, taking place at 7:30 p.m. in Oden Hall's Archon Auditorium, is called "Bridging the Impasse: 21st Century Practices for a Stronger Democracy."
There are no adjusted class schedules this year for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
View downloadable images of Judy Alston and Kenyon College.
