Eddie S. Glaude Jr. headlines annual MLK Day celebration

Date
Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. (photo by Sameer A. Khan)

GAMBIER, Ohio — Kenyon College celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a virtual event Monday, Jan. 18, from 4-5:30 p.m. EST, featuring a keynote address by bestselling author and intellectual Eddie S. Glaude Jr.

Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. He has written numerous books exploring the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges facing American democracy. Glaude’s work speaks to the complex dynamics of the American experience, bringing into view the country’s vulnerabilities and opportunities for hope. Glaude’s Kenyon address will be based on his bestselling book “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own,” released in June 2020.

Glaude’s books include “Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul” and “In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America,” as well as various works on religion and philosophy. He regularly appears on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and is an MSNBC contributor. A graduate of Morehouse College, Glaude holds a master’s degree in African American studies from Temple University and a doctorate in religion from Princeton.  

This event includes remarks by Kenyon President Sean Decatur and a Q&A with Glaude moderated by Kenyon Review Editor Nicole Terez Dutton. Kenyon faculty will moderate breakout sessions for participants around the topics of national and campus/local activism. Visit calendar.kenyon.edu for more information. 

Prior to this afternoon program, Knox County community leaders will virtually gather at 10 a.m. EST Jan. 18 for the 18th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Service, jointly hosted by Kenyon, Mount Vernon Nazarene University and the Knox County MLK Celebration Committee. Rev. Rachel Kessler, priest-in-charge of Harcourt Parish and Kenyon chaplain, will serve as keynote speaker, and Decatur, MVNU President Henry W. Spaulding II, Mount Vernon Mayor Matthew Starr and Gambier Mayor Leeman Kessler will give additional remarks. To RSVP and receive a link for this Zoom event, email odei@kenyon.edu.

Right-click to download speaker image (credit Sameer A. Khan): Link.