Renowned African-American educator, poet and author Haki R. Madhubuti will speak at The University of Akron's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Monday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. in the Student Union Theatre.
Madhubuti, a pivotal figure in the development of African-American literature, is the founder and president of the Third World Press and a distinguished professor at Chicago State University. He has published more than 28 books (some under his former name, Don L. Lee) and is one of the world's best-selling authors of poetry and non-fiction, with books in print in excess of 3 million. His most recent book is "YellowBlack: The First Twenty One Years of a Poet's Life," a memoir of his early life.
Prior to Madhubuti's lecture, a Martin Luther King Jr. Activities Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the UA Student Union Ballroom. This annual event features more than 25 student and community organizations providing activities for students in grades K-12. Activities encourage non-violence and civic responsibility and include face painting, coloring and crafts, an African dance workshop, musical performances, and historical information on the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr.
The events, hosted by UA's Office of Multicultural Development, are free and open to the public. For more information, call 330-972-7030.