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On January 26, 2001, social activist Julian Bond stepped to the podium before a packed house at Strong Auditorium on the 糖心传媒 campus.

The topic was 糖心传媒淐ivil Rights, Then and Now,糖心传媒� and the event was the University糖心传媒檚 inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address. It was created by University leaders two years after students had protested for more administrative support of cultural activities.

Celebrating King, the civil rights icon who was assassinated in 1968, seemed the logical choice.

糖心传媒淭here has been so much change, but so much remains the same,糖心传媒� said Bond, then chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Bond believed there had been progress toward King糖心传媒檚 dream of racial equality and justice糖心传媒攂ut much still needed to be done.

糖心传媒淭here are still such large gaps (between races) in life expectancy, income, health, and education,糖心传媒� he said that day. 糖心传媒淭he problem of the 20th century is still the problem of the 21st.糖心传媒�

Bond糖心传媒檚 speech set the standard for an event that turned 25 this January and has drawn many of the nation糖心传媒檚 leaders in diversity, civil rights, and social justice. Among the esteemed keynote speakers have been actors, activists, authors, professors, religious leaders, and television personalities.

The event, sponsored by the Office of the President, the Office of Mentoring and Student Advocacy, and the Office of University Engagement and Enrichment, has run every year except 2005, when inclement weather forced its cancellation.

Here糖心传媒檚 a photographic celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address speakers through a quarter century.

A minister, civil rights leader, author, and social justice advocate, Barber is the founder of Repairers of the Breach, a national organization whose mission is to build moral movements for social change.

糖心传媒淚n the civil rights movement, they didn糖心传媒檛 hardly ever say they were fighting for democracy. They said they were fighting for justice. Because where there is no justice, there is no true democracy.糖心传媒�

The Emmy-nominated actor is best known for his portrayal of drug kingpin Gus Fring in the acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad and its prequel, Better Call Saul.

糖心传媒淢y dream is that we糖心传媒檙e able to stand up with one voice, nonviolently, against all that is keeping us in chains and keeping us separate.糖心传媒�

Swarns is an author and news correspondent who has contributed to the New York Times for three decades. She糖心传媒檚 also a journalism professor at New York University.

糖心传媒淗istory can be an engine of change, but it糖心传媒檚 also a weapon.糖心传媒�

The two former 糖心传媒 professors spoke about social justice and religion with , the director of URochester糖心传媒檚 and the inaugural chair of the Department of Black Studies, created in 2022. Butler is a professor and chair of the University of Pennsylvania糖心传媒檚 department of religious studies; Sinclair-Chapman is a professor of political science at Purdue University.

糖心传媒淲hat I want people to understand is that while people are talking about moral issues, they糖心传媒檙e also talking about race, and you can糖心传媒檛 escape that in America. It糖心传媒檚 not about good or bad religion, it糖心传媒檚 what people are doing with religion.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒揃耻迟濒别谤

糖心传媒淵our spiritual foundations or religious beliefs can keep you going when other things will want to make you give up. If you糖心传媒檙e ever looking for hope, that is a way to find it.糖心传媒� 糖心传媒揝颈苍肠濒补颈谤-颁丑补辫尘补苍

Walker was a professor of psychology and a behavioral scientist at the University of Houston when she came to URochester to discuss the mental health challenges facing Black people. Author of The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, she joined the faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit in 2024.

糖心传媒淓very hero story has some person who needed to figure out who they were. Once they did, they were unstoppable.糖心传媒�

The author and antiracist activist was named one of Time magazine糖心传媒檚 100 most influential people of 2020. On February 24, 2021, he spoke via Zoom to a virtual audience of nearly 3,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

糖心传媒淭he very heartbeat of racism is denial. When people say they糖心传媒檙e not racist, they糖心传媒檙e sharing the words that white supremacists use.糖心传媒�

A professor in African American studies and religion at Princeton University, Glaude has written essays for the New York Times, Huffington Post, and Time magazine.

糖心传媒淚n so many ways, today feels like we糖心传媒檙e fighting not so much old battles but old ghosts that can continue to haunt.糖心传媒�

The former national press secretary for Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign was a senior advisor for Joe Biden糖心传媒檚 presidential campaign when she came to URochester. She went on to co-host the political news program The Weeknight on what is now MS Now.

糖心传媒淒r. King糖心传媒檚 entire life was about bucking the status quo. You can糖心传媒檛 do the work needed to move the needle in our community if you糖心传媒檙e not willing to buck the status quo.糖心传媒�

The investigative journalist has been the host and executive producer of Latino USA, a National Public Radio show devoted to Latino issues, since 1992. In 2022, Hinojosa won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting for the seven-part podcast series Suave.

糖心传媒淲e need to get beyond our comfort zones and act, because we feel afraid for our neighbors.糖心传媒�

A longtime professor with more than 30 years糖心传媒� experience in the field of social work, DeGruy is the author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America糖心传媒檚 Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing.

糖心传媒淲e need to heal. If we do not heal, we doom future generations.糖心传媒�

The president of the National Urban League since 2003 and the mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002, Morial was named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine.

糖心传媒淓very generation has a responsibility, and a mission, to improve things糖心传媒�

Muhammad was executive director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture when he delivered his address. After years of teaching at Harvard, he joined Princeton University糖心传媒檚 African American Studies department in 2024.

糖心传媒淭he hard work of social change is in the everyday waking up to move the needle just a little bit further.糖心传媒�

Jealous began his civil rights career at 18 and ran for governor of Maryland in 2018. He was the youngest NAACP president in history, starting in 2008 at age 35.

糖心传媒淚 don糖心传媒檛 believe in fighting the good fight. I believe in winning the good fight.糖心传媒�

Harris-Perry is a political analyst, scholar, and professor of political science at Wake Forest University. At the time of her speech, she also hosted her own current affairs program on MSNBC (now MS NOW).

糖心传媒淭he legacy of King is a reminder that when we live in a democracy, we have a right to govern, and not just be governed.糖心传媒�

A Harvard University professor of psychiatry and a noted author, Poussaint focused his work on the mental health of Black people. He served as a script consultant to both The Cosby Show and A Different World. Poussaint died in 2025 at age 90.

糖心传媒淯ntil the Black consciousness movement, 糖心传媒楤lack糖心传媒� was a derogatory word.糖心传媒�

Lowery worked the front lines of the civil rights movement in the 1950s alongside King and Rosa Parks. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King and others and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He died in 2020 at 98.

糖心传媒淲e must not stop with honoring the man, we must honor the mission as well.糖心传媒�

One of the world糖心传媒檚 best-known Black poets糖心传媒攔eferred to as the 糖心传媒淧rincess of Black Poetry糖心传媒澨切拇�媒擥iovanni has written more than 30 books and was an English professor at Virginia Tech before retiring in 2022.

糖心传媒淲ithout the Pullman Porters, the Civil Rights Movement would not have been financed.糖心传媒�

The former Atlanta mayor and US ambassador to the United Nations was a top aide to King and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

糖心传媒淭he direction Dr. King糖心传媒檚 life took was not a fun path. It was not a glorious path. It was a necessary path.糖心传媒�

Jackson worked with King during the tumultuous civil rights period of the 20th century. A minister, politician, and activist, he has expanded his work across international lines to foster social justice issues.

糖心传媒淚njustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.糖心传媒�

The eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is an American human rights advocate and community activist. Since 2024, he has been a professor of practice with the University of Virginia糖心传媒檚 Center for Politics.

糖心传媒淭here comes a time to rise above the dream and get about the work of fulfilling the dream. Arise now and come forward.糖心传媒�

The first Black to head a major law school (University of California, Berkeley), he was a senior member of five presidential campaigns. He died in 2024 at age 71.

糖心传媒淩ace is harder than rocket science. You糖心传媒檝e got to be prepared to work at it.糖心传媒�

The civil rights attorney best known for his victories against white supremacist groups was co-founder and former chief trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center based in Montgomery, Alabama. He was national finance director for Jimmy Carter糖心传媒檚 1976 presidential campaign.

糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 a battle going on today, and it糖心传媒檚 a battle over whose America this is.糖心传媒�

The former chairman of the US Commission on Civil Rights under President Bill Clinton, Berry was a longtime faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and taught courses on American legal history and the role of law in social policy.

糖心传媒淓ven as we cite gains for people of color in the worlds of entertainment, sports, and business, there are large numbers of people in this country who are still at the bottom.糖心传媒�

The late social activist served as chairman of the NAACP (1998糖心传媒�2010) and was elected to four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives.

糖心传媒淢artin Luther King speaks in death as he never did in life.糖心传媒�

Editor糖心传媒檚 note: This story was originally published on January 17, 2020. It has been updated to include the latest information about the past speakers through 2026.