MLK speaker an expert on political engagement
Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown to give the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday keynote at Oregon State University.
LaTosha Brown, a leader in national efforts to build Black political engagement and expand voter access, will be the keynote speaker at Oregon State University’s 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, Jan. 17.
“LaTosha Brown’s nationally recognized work to advance civil rights and enfranchise communities could not be more relevant or necessary within our current national context,” said Scott Vignos, interim vice president and chief diversity officer at Oregon State.
Brown is the co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund Brown and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute working to boost Black voter registration and turnout, as well as increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities.
Her keynote address is at 11 a.m. at the LaSells Stewart Center at OSU’s Corvallis campus. It will also be livestreamed. The keynote will be preceded by a peace breakfast at 9 a.m. at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center. It celebrates the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and honors members of the Oregon State community who carry on the themes of his messages and work.
A peace march will follow the keynote address, an opportunity for community members to join in solidarity and reflect on King’s legacy of creating transformative change through non-violence. The march will begin at 12:30 p.m. from the front patio of the LaSells Stewart Center and end at the Memorial Union.