2026 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week
Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way
Keynote speaker Derrick Johnson
The president and CEO of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization told a campus audience they should not act as passive observers in today's polarized society; they should carry these two obligations: "Do well for yourself and do good for your neighbors."
Derrick Johnson, a native of Detroit, has led the NAACP for nearly a decade. He gave a keynote address in the Kirkhof Center March 19 that was rescheduled from January's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week events.
Johnson gave his reflections on King's legacy and recalled his participation as a member of a student NAACP chapter, when he learned he was having conversations with leaders he read about in books. Read more about Derrick Johnson in this GVNext Story.
Derrick Johnson, at right, talks with Robert Shorty, vice president for People, Equity, and Culture, during a rescheduled presentation held in March in the Kirkhof Center.
Dar Mayweather gave a virtual presentation, due to weather, during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week.
Keynote speaker Dar Mayweather
Two-time Laker graduate Dar Mayweather delivered an engaging virtual presentation January 21 that connected aspects of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership to practical ways campus community members can impact their own communities.
Mayweather, ’07 and ’09, a leadership studies faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, told the audience he was not going to deliver a typical speech about King, but rather reflect on King's vision and how Lakers can build and realize their own visions. "When you pursue your vision, it's not going to be safe or comfortable," Mayweather said.
He guided participants through several written exercises designed to help them identify where they fall on the spectrum between leadership and management. Leaders, he explained, drive change and foster dialogue, while managers create order and consistency through delegation. Read more about Dar Mayweather in this GVNext Story.