Martin Luther King Jr. celebration to feature keynote Nikkita Oliver

Keynote speaker Nikkita Oliver.

Edmonds Community College will host a free Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Thursday, Jan. 16. Join us as our community celebrates the life and teachings of Dr. King with an inspirational message from keynote speaker Nikkita Oliver.

Nikkita Oliver is a Seattle-based creative, community organizer, abolitionist, educator, and attorney. Working at the intersections of arts, law, education, and community organizing, she strives to create experiences which draw us closer to our humanity and invites us to imagine what we hope to see in the future.

Oliver has opened for Cornel West and Chuck D of Public Enemy, performed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and appeared on “The Breakfast Club,” KUOW's “The Week in Review,” and “Cut Stories.” Her writing has been published in the South Seattle Emerald, Crosscut, the Establishment, Last Real Indians, Seattle Weekly, and the Stranger.

Oliver is the co-executive director of Creative Justice, an innovative arts-based approach to ending youth incarceration and eliminating racial disparities. She organizes with No New Youth Jail and the Seattle Peoples Party.

As the first political candidate of the Seattle Peoples Party, Oliver ran for mayor of Seattle in 2017. Without receiving any corporate donations, she came in third out of 21 candidates in the general election. 

Oliver will speak 12:30-1:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. on campus in the Black Box Theatre, 20310 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood. The 12:30 p.m. keynote is only open to students and Edmonds CC employees. Tickets are free and are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 11 a.m. The 6:30 p.m. keynote is open to the community. Tickets are free and may be reserved by visiting Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration web page or calling 425.640.1448.

Other Martin Luther King Jr. campus events for students include:

• MLK Jr. Birthday Party 
  12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 | Triton Student Center in Brier Hall
  Cupcakes, Struggle and Freedom punch, music, and activities.
• “Selma” Movie Screening
  2-4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15 | Center for Student Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Brier Hall
  Come watch this 2014 historical drama based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery, Ala. voting rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel, Hosea Williams, and John Lewis.
• MLK Fireside Chat: “MLK to Me” 
  11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 | Brier Hall lobby
  Join us for a discussion about the Civil Rights Movement with Edmonds CC faculty and staff.

For more information about these events, visit Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration web page. Due to potential inclement weather, please visit edmonds.edu for campus closure information on the day of the event(s).