Valpo Announces Cornel West as Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Keynote Speaker

Event theme is “Conscious Humanity: What is Justice?”

Valparaiso University will continue its tradition of honoring the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 16 with its 27th annual celebration, centering on the idea of “Conscious Humanity: What is Justice?”

Through lectures, presentations and interactive discussions, Valpo will engage students, faculty and staff as well as the broader Northwest Indiana community to collectively reflect on King’s legacy and how to continue his work.

Cornel West, Ph.D., will serve as keynote speaker for the convocation service. West, an esteemed lecturer and activist, is professor of philosophy and Christian practice at Union Theological Seminary and professor emeritus at Princeton University. His most recent book, “Black Prophetic Fire,” focuses on 19th- and 20th-century African American leaders and their visionary legacies. He is a frequent guest on the “Bill Maher Show,” CNN, C-Span and “Democracy Now.”

West has also taught at Yale, Harvard and the University of Paris. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in three years and obtained his master of arts and Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University.

Detailed information about the 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will be announced at a later date.