The UTSA community will honor the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the university’s annual MLK lecture on Wednesday, January 19. Civil rights researcher Charles W. McKinney Jr. will deliver this year’s lecture, titled “The Beautiful Struggle: What King can teach us about the ‘fierce urgency of now.” The lecture will be held virtually from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
“We’re honored to have Dr. McKinney as our keynote lecturer this year,” said Jasmine Harris, professor and program manager of African American Studies in the UTSA College of Education and Human Development. “His extensive research and knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Era, African American activism and African American politics will offer our attendees an in-depth and critical look into how those movements shaped our world today.”
McKinney Jr. is the Neville Frierson Bryan Chair of Africana Studies and an associate professor of history at Rhodes College in Memphis. He received his bachelor’s degree in history from Morehouse College and completed his doctoral studies at Duke University.
Newspaper and information venues across the country have featured McKinney’s writing—including Memphis’ The Commercial Appeal, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Black Perspectives, Vanity Fair, and MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. He has also provided commentary on radio programs across the country and has been a featured guest for news outlets in the United Kingdom, Europe, China, New Zealand, Australia and for CNN.
McKinney’s lecture will offer attendees a comprehensive look into the historical impact of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how his efforts continues to influence and impact today’s society. After the lecture, attendees are invited to participate in an exclusive question and answer session with McKinney.
