MLK Symposium – An Evening with Donzaleigh Abernathy

We invite you to join us in celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy at the 2025 MLK Symposium and community reception on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. This year’s keynote speaker will be actress, author, and activist Donzaleigh Abernathy.

5 p.m.: Doors open (general admission; tickets required)

5:30–7 p.m.: MLK Symposium program

7–8:30 p.m.: Reception in Sunset Lounge (light refreshments)

• Free ticketing for the event is open now.
• This is an in-person event that will also be streamed online.
• The keynote will be followed by a moderated Q&A.
• Livestream ticket holders will receive their link via email one day before the event, and again 30 minutes before the event.
• The livestream will be available to watch during the live event only; it will not be available for on-demand viewing.
• Live captioning and sign language interpreting will be provided for both the in-person and virtual viewing. The venue is ADA-accessible.
• Please note that this event is on Tuesday, January 28, and not on the actual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 

About Donzaleigh Abernathy 

Donzaleigh Abernathy is the youngest daughter of American Civil Rights Movement co-founder Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and the goddaughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She has been immersed in civil rights activism with her family since childhood, growing up amidst pivotal events such as the Freedom Riders and the March on Washington. She witnessed first-hand the integral decisions that helped shape federal legislation, including the Civil Rights Bill, the Public Accommodations Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Free Meal Program for Low-Income Students.

She is the author of “Partners to History: Martin Luther King, Ralph David Abernathy and the Civil Rights Movement,” nominated as one of the “Best Books for Young Adults” by the American Library Association. Abernathy is also an accomplished actress who starred in award-winning films and television series, including “Don King-Only in America” and “Miss Evers Boys.” She produced and directed the documentaries “Saint Francis Medical Center” and “The Women of Niagara.” Her play “Birmingham Sunday” won the Tanne Foundation Award.

Abernathy is a founding Trustee of the New Visions Foundation/Coalition for Engaged Education and continues her commitment to social justice and education through her volunteer work with Juveniles in the Los Angeles County Justice System.

About the MLK Symposium 

Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement annually host a campus speaker in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Each year, the speaker is asked to provide their reflections on the legacy of MLK and to discuss how their work or experience connects to this. Past event speakers include astronaut Mae Jemison and Pulitzer Prize-winner Nikole Hannah-Jones. Learn more.