Celebrating justice and equality: A look ahead at the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Thursday, Jan. 23, at SEMO’s Show Me Center, the campus community will gather for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King.

This year’s celebration is taking place on Thursday, Jan. 23, at SEMO’s Show Me Center. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the program begins at 6:00.

The annual event will include notable guest speaker Zaki Ali and is hosted by the MLK Celebration planning committee, which features SEMO faculty members Tonya Wells, Dana Saverino and Tammy Underwood.

This tradition began with a memorial breakfast in 1986 and has evolved into the current celebration it is now, marking a new chapter in the celebration of MLK’s life and impact. Since then, the annual dinner has grown to include participation from faculty, alumni, students and the southeast Missouri community.

The celebration has a long history of notable speakers, including Martin Luther King III, singer/songwriter John Legend and U.S. District Court Judge Brian Miller.

This year’s guest speaker Zaki Ali, is a social justice advocate. Despite facing challenges early on in life with Dyslexia, Zaki Ali earned a bachelor’s degree from SEMO in 1987 and his law degree in 1998. Motivated by the wrongful conviction of his mother, Ali has spent more than 22 years practicing criminal defense, personal injury, and immigration law and focusing on social justice and advocacy.

Tickets for Thursday’s event can be purchased on SEMO’s website. Tickets are available for individual and table registration and sponsorship registration.

The MLK Day Celebration aims to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy while reminding attendees of the ongoing pursuit of justice and equality.