Carnegie Mellon University
Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer  ›  Communications  ›  2023  ›  In Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Vision
January 12, 2024

In Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Vision

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community:

Every January, our community gathers to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We remember his profound contributions and his deeply hopeful vision for a better world. We also use this as an opportunity to acknowledge Dr. King’s tireless efforts to further the pillars of fairness, equity and democracy, and be active around these ideals. It is a chance to embrace the importance of education and awareness that Dr. King so fervently championed, so that we can know better, do better and grow together.

As part of our community celebration, we are extremely excited to host Byron Pitts to deliver Carnegie Mellon’s 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. keynote lecture, “On the Front Lines: Chaos or Community" on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. Pitts is a multiple Emmy Award–winning journalist known for his thoughtful storytelling, on-the-ground reporting and in-depth interviews. A 30-year news veteran, he has traveled the world to cover some of the biggest news stories of our time, including the Florida presidential recount, the tsunami in Indonesia, the refugee crisis in Kosovo, and the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. He brings his unique experiences, perspectives and decidedly optimistic outlook to his life and his work. Please join us for this thought-provoking lecture.

In addition to this keynote event, we have partnered with campus departments, Pittsburgh-area organizations and thought leaders from across the country to offer a series of lectures, discussions and service projects over the coming weeks. View the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. program schedule for a full listing of events. 

I also invite you to engage in additional community-wide events hosted by our office, including the new Dialogues of Disruption series, a multi-event series that offers transformative and interactive educational experiences to build knowledge, empathy and awareness within our university community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant
Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
Distinguished Service Professor, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy