Dr. Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans, will speak at Eastern Kentucky University Friday, January 21, 2022, for a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. Kimbrough, who is known on social media as the HipHopPrez, will spend the morning at the EKU Center for the Arts to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King and highlight the role we all play in moving his legacy forward.
The schedule for the MLK Day Celebration:
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8:30 a.m. Free Continental Breakfast
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9:30 a.m. Welcome
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10 a.m. Dr. Kimbrough’s Lecture
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10:45 a.m. Q&A
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11 a.m. Community Panel featuring:
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Victoria Benge, Executive Director, CASA of Madison and Clark counties
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Devone Holt, Chief External Affairs Officer, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky
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Timothy Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Way of the Bluegrass
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Vicki Jozefowicz, Chief Administrative Officer, Kentucky River Foothills Development Council Inc.
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11:50 a.m. Call to Action/Conclusion
“We are excited to bring Dr. Kimbrough to EKU,” said President David T. McFaddin. “His insights are sure to encourage and empower our community as we work to increase our knowledge and expand our perspectives within the realms of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Kimbrough discusses a variety of topics of interest to the community, including student success and equity, free speech, Greek life, and many more. He was noted as one of 25 college presidents to follow on Twitter in 2010 by BachelorsDegree.org and as one of the 20 most interesting college presidents by TheBestSchools.org in 2015.
Kimbrough’s engaging speaking style caught the attention of Dr. Dannie Moore, EKU vice president for student life and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, which is why he and his committee wanted to bring him to campus.
“I hope it serves as a call to action for the EKU and broader central Kentucky community that highlights the importance of collaboration in building a better community,” Moore said.
Taking a day to commemorate Dr. King is crucial to the future, he said.
“So many people just see the day as a day off work and forget the impact Dr. King had on the world. Events like this give us the opportunity to continue moving the conversations King fought for further,” he said. The MLK Day Celebration is a free event but tickets must be secured in advance at go.eku.edu/MLK22.