Speaker will link King's legacy to current events during rescheduled MLK event

LaTosha Brown, co-founder of several organizations dedicated to boosting Black voter registration and turnout, will visit West Michigan next week in rescheduled appearances to discuss the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Robert Shorty, vice president for the Division of People, Equity, and Culture, will facilitate a conversation with Brown on Wednesday, March 26, at 10 a.m. at the Haas Center for Performing Arts, Louis Armstrong Theatre. 

The event is free and open to the public. It will also be livestreamed via Zoom webinar .

Brown's appearances in January were postponed due to severe weather.

A recognized expert in Black voting rights and voter suppression, Brown is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, Black Voters Matter Fund and the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. She also founded and serves as co-anchor of a regional network called the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium, a $100 million initiative to invest in organizations that serve Black women and girls. 

Thanks to a longstanding partnership among Grand Valley, Davenport University and Grand Rapids Community College, Brown will also give the keynote presentation at 6 p.m. on March 26 at the 39th annual West Michigan community celebration at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids. That event will be livestreamed . Brown will visit Davenport's campus on March 27.

Anticipating Brown's visit in January, President Philomena V. Mantella said: “Dr. King’s messages about equity, opportunity and education continue to serve as a call for action for us. Our university looks forward to reflecting on his words and also using them to inspire our future work.”