Martin Luther King Jr. celebration to feature keynote Dr. Michael Benitez Jr.

Edmonds Community College will host a free Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Join us as our community celebrates the life and teachings of Dr. King with an inspirational message from keynote speaker Dr. Michael Benitez Jr.

Dr. Michael Benitez Jr.

Benitez is a nationally-acclaimed activist-scholar, practitioner, and educator. He has extensive experience in diversity issues in higher education and is known for his down-to-earth, insightful commentary and critical perspectives on social and cultural issues.

He has been featured in educational documentaries, such as "Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity" (2012), and has appeared on talk shows such as Worlds Apart and Hard Knock Radio.

In previous roles, Benitez has served as director of Intercultural Development and the Portlock Black Cultural Center at Lafayette College, as adjunct faculty in the Graduate School of Leadership and Professional Advancement at Duquesne University, and as director of Intercultural Engagement and Leadership at Grinnell College.

Informed partly by his poetry and love for spoken word, and as director of Diversity Initiatives and Social Justice at Dickinson College, Benitez established the Diversity Monologues, an ongoing annual program aimed at highlighting the creative talents of students while addressing diversity and social justice – a program he has helped implement and shape at multiple institutions.

Benitez will speak at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on campus in the Black Box Theatre, 20310 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood. Tickets for the 12:30 p.m. keynote are only available at the door with student access given priority. Tickets for the 7 p.m. keynote must be reserved and are available at Black Box Theatre web page. This event is open to the community.

Other Martin Luther King Jr. campus events include:

• MLK Jr. Birthday Party and Scavenger Hunt
  11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14 | Triton Student Center in Brier Hall
  Be on the lookout for scavenger hunt clues around campus and enjoy a birthday celebration and birthday cake for Martin Luther King Jr.
• Know your rights: Education and Advocacy Day
  11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16 | Triton Student Center in Brier Hall
  Do you have hope to change the world but don’t know how? Come learn about different ways to be an activist and how to make the world a better place.
• Engaging Peace Through Our Multicultural Identities
  10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17 | Center for Student Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Brier Hall
  Engage in a workshop to explore your identity and learn more about yourself.

Find out more about these Martin Luther King Jr. celebration events, see campus map and directions.