LaTosha Brown, the cofounder of Black Voters Matter and a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, will be the keynote speaker in the 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Event at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22.

Brown’s appearance is timely as Black Voters Matters was one of the engines that mobilized and engaged the Black voting bloc in the Southeast, both in the run-up to November’s general election and in last month’s special election in Georgia. Her remarks will focus on racial and social justice in public policy, including voter rights and the power of coalition building.

President Havidán Rodríguez will make opening remarks, and there will be a recorded message from Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Prior to the pandemic, the annual event MLK Luncheon was an in-person event and major part of the University’s celebration of Black History Month. This year it will be held virtually, and you can register to attend via Zoom. For more information, email odievents@albany.edu.