MLK Jr. Day Lecture 2021

Luther College hosts Dr. Bettina Love for Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture 

Dr. Bettina L. Love, an author, activist and public speaker will give Luther College's 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day lecture at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18. The viewing link for this lecture, which is free and open to the public, can be found on the Luther College Events page, luther.edu/events.

Love's lecture, "Living a Hip Hop and Abolitionist Life: Resistance, Creativity, Hip Hop Civics Ed, Intersectionality and Black Joy," will educate viewers about racial violence, oppression, intersectional justice and how to make sustainable community change. Love's work is based on a curriculum she created called GET FREE, which connects youth to resources and a network of artists, community leaders and activists who advocate for visibility, inclusion and societal change.

Love is a sought-after speaker with lecture topics ranging from anti-racism and art-based education to Black girlhood and Hip Hop feminism. Love's work has been recognized by the White House Research Conference on Girls and by the Old Fourth Ward Economic Security Task Force, a six-month initiative supporting residents of one of Atlanta's most historic and rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. In 2020, she co-founded the Abolitionist Teaching Network with the simple mission to develop and support teachers and parents to fight injustice within their schools and communities.

Luther College's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture began in 1987 to provide an ongoing scholarly conversation about the struggle for human rights in the United States. It is supported by the Williams Endowment Fund, named in recognition of Lawrence and Queen Williams for their dedication and years of service to Luther. The endowment assures the continuation of the college's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture. Lawrence Williams planned and solicited funding for more than 20 of these lectures throughout his career as a Luther faculty member. His dedication to the lecture series reflected a commitment to understanding civil rights that went beyond academic study. Williams' personal experiences with the civil rights movement and its protests allowed him to share a firsthand perspective with students, and his acquaintance with civil rights leaders brought extraordinary people to campus to share their lives and stories.

Working alongside people of all ages, races and backgrounds, King encouraged Americans to come together to strengthen communities, alleviate poverty and acknowledge dignity and respect for all human beings. King's legacy is the continuing work for tolerance, peace and equality.