Author and community activist Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, will serve as the keynote speaker for the seventh annual joint Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, presented by UNC Greensboro and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T).
This year’s event will take place in UNCG Auditorium on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 7-9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
In addition to Shabazz’s keynote address, the evening program will feature a performance by the UNCG Neo-Black Society Choir, a presentation of UNCG’s MLK Service Award, and a performance by A&T’s MLK Oratory Contest winner. A meet-and-greet and book signing with Shabazz will follow the program.
Shabazz is a professor, social activist, community organizer, speaker, and author of three award-winning publications: “Growing Up X,” a coming of age memoir; “Malcolm Little,” a children’s illustration book; and the award-winning “X, A Novel.”
Shabazz promotes higher education for at-risk youth and interfaith dialogue to build bridges between cultures for young leaders of the world, and she participates in international humanitarian delegations. She holds a Master of Science in education and human resource development from Fordham University; a Bachelor of Science in biology from SUNY/New Paltz; and is currently an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
Earlier in the day, A&T will host a faculty and staff reception with Shabazz on its campus from 3-4 p.m. A free shuttle will provide round trip service to and from the event from the UNCG campus. Faculty and staff should call 336-334-5090 or email intercultural@uncg.edu to reserve their seat on the shuttle.
The event is sponsored by UNCG’s Office of Intercultural Engagement, UNCG Bookstore, Parking Operations and Campus Access Management, UNCG Auditorium, Spartan Printing, and Student Affairs. A&T sponsors include the MLK Commemorative Observance Committee, Student Affairs, and Multicultural Student Center, among other student and student affairs groups.
To learn more about the event, visit intercultural.uncg.edu.
