Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration happening at Bridgewater College
BRIDGEWATER — He's spoken to and prayed with presidents and popes. He's no stranger to the stage, whether it's a graduation lectern or a sidewalk outside a government building.
In 2016, he gave the keynote address for the Democratic National Convention. In 2017, he spoke at the Vatican. His ministry work has led to more than $12 million in community development.
In 2018, he helped relaunch the Poor People’s Campaign — begun by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others in 1968 — with a historic wave of protests in state capitals and in Washington, D.C. Millions of Americans have participated in Poor People’s Campaign events since.
In 2020, he gave the homily at the 59th Inaugural Prayer Service for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. And in 2021, he spoke before the 5th UNI Global Union World Congress to more than 25 countries and was added to the Black Achievers Wall in the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, England.
The Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II will deliver the keynote address for Bridgewater College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Cole Hall on the College’s campus.
Barber’s address, “We Are Called to Be a Movement,” is free and open to the public.
A former Mel King Fellow at MIT, Barber is currently a Visiting Professor of Public Theology and Activism at Union Theological Seminary and Senior Fellow at Auburn Seminary. Named one of BET’s 100 Entertainers and Innovators, he is a recipient of the North Carolina Award — the state’s highest civilian honor.
Event details
Endowed lecture: The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
When: Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Cole Hall, Bridgewater College
The format for the event is a traditional lecture with Q&A to follow. An American Sign Language interpreter will be present to facilitate communication between Barber and deaf or hard of hearing attendees. A livestream of the event is accessible at bridgewater.edu/barber.
More: When was the last time your voting ward was represented at city council?
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Reverend Barber Bridgewater College Va
