Noted professor and author Michael Eric Dyson will be the keynote speaker during Aurora’s 40th annual MLK Ceremony on Jan. 20 honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. at East Aurora High School, 500 Tomcat Lane in Aurora, and have a theme based on the fourth and final book written by King, “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”
Founded by the late Aurora Youth Services Director Fred Rodgers, the late Aurora Ald. Scheketa Hart-Burns and other community leaders, the annual ceremony highlights the impact and influence of the iconic Civil Rights leader, according to a press release from city officials about the event.
A special tribute to both late founders of the event in Aurora will be a part of the 40th annual ceremony, along with remarks by dignitaries, youth and adult performances and a presentation of the Donna J. Williams MLK Service Awards and the Services Above Self MLK Youth Awards, officials said.
Dyson, the keynote speaker for the ceremony, is one of the nation’s most renowned professors and authors, as well as a preacher, lecturer and more, event organizers said in the release.
The Centennial Chair at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Dyson also serves as the university’s Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies in the College of Arts and Science and its Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Society in the Divinity School.
The author of 21 books, including literary works about Barack Obama, Tupac Shakur and Malcolm X, Dyson has written extensively about King and penned two books about his life and legacy, according to the release.
In his book, “I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Dyson challenges the common portrayals of King, offering a perspective that highlights King’s radical critique of systemic inequality, poverty and militarism, according to the release. His bestselling book, “April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America,” explores the profound impact of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on the United States and the world, shedding light on how it altered the trajectory of the Civil Rights Movement and the ongoing fight for racial justice, event organizers said.
The ceremony in Aurora is free to attend, but registration is required at www.aurora-il.org/MLK2025
