MLK Day Celebration
Truth in a Time of Misinformation
Celebrate and Honor the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Truth in a Time of Misinformation explores how history, facts, and critical thinking are being challenged in today’s cultural and political climate. From the erasure of Black history to attacks on DEI initiatives.
Has education become a critical battleground for democracy? Where do we fit in this conversation? This event invites students and employees to examine how we tell truths and why it matters.
Join us in honoring MLK’s legacy through thinking critically, asking bold questions, and defending the power of truth.
Date: Thursday, January 22
Time: 9 a.m.–noon
Location: Technical Building Plaza
Agenda:
- 9–9:30 a.m. | Greeting, Mingling, and Breakfast Snacks
- 9:30–9:40 a.m. | Welcome | Dr. Sharon Pierce, Minneapolis College President
- 9:45–10:45 a.m. | Keynote | Dr. ReAnna S. Roby, she/her
- 10:45–11:45 a.m. | MLK Speech Workshop: Reflection, Analysis, and Dialogue | Terra Brister, AME Coordinator
- 11:45 a.m–noon | Closing Remarks | Trumanue Lindsey Jr., Vice President of Equity and Inclusion
Keynote Speaker
A native of Raymond, Mississippi, Dr. ReAnna S. Roby is a research-practitioner and Director of the Women's Center at the University of Minnesota--the first university based women's center in the US.
A first-generation scholar, Dr. Roby's lived experiences as a Black Southern woman in science significantly inform her work. For more than a decade, Dr. Roby has worked at the intersections of race, gender, and science.
This is reflected in her professional experiences at the Office of Equity and Diversity at Washington State University as well as her administrative and postdoctoral teaching and community-engaged research experiences at Michigan State University, the Fisk-Vanderbilt Regional Center of Excellence, and the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center at Vanderbilt University.
A 2024 AERA Division E award recipient, Roby holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Washington State University, and a bachelors. in Chemistry from Alcorn State University--the Nation's oldest public land grant HBCU.