Majora Carter, a renowned urban revitalization strategist who has earned the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship and Peabody Award, will be the featured speaker at Carnegie Mellon University's 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Celebration and Keynote Lecture(opens in new window). The event will be held from 5 to 6:15 p.m., Jan. 25 in the Cohon University Center's Rangos Ballroom.

"I am delighted to welcome Majora Carter to Carnegie Mellon this month as our community celebrates and honors Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," said Wanda Heading-Grant(opens in new window), vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer. "Her work is deeply rooted in sustaining and uplifting communities, and Dr. King's legacy, particularly his idea of a beloved community, is one that has echoed throughout Ms. Carter's career. I look forward to coming together to learn about her activism, advocacy and ideas about how we can shape and support communities, including our own."

In the South Bronx, Carter's economic revitalization projects(opens in new window) have included the Boogie Down Grind Caf, featuring coffee, tea, local beers and wine, and celebrating hip-hop culture and the creative local community; Hunts Point Heights, a mixed-use building consisting of residential, commercial and cultural space; Bronxlandia, a former rail station that was transformed into an event and performance venue; and StartUp Box, a social venture that has increased opportunities to provide entry-level tech jobs for area residents.

Carter's work earned her a MacArthur Fellowship in 2005. Commonly known as the "Genius Grant," the MacArthur Fellowship is "an investment in a person's originality, insight and potential," and is also "based on a track record of significant accomplishments." In 2010, she received a Peabody Award, which honors excellence in radio broadcasting, for her radio talk show "The Promised Land with Host Majora Carter."

Carter was named to the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs and received the Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement by News Corp.

"I am excited to invite everyone to participate in community events across the university," Heading-Grant said. "I am so grateful for the time this holiday offers to reflect on what Dr. King's life and legacy mean to me and others. I believe we must be emboldened and charged by his legacy to do our utmost to continue a path forward that ensures equity, fairness and access for all — a legacy that promotes love and mutual respect. I invite everyone at CMU to do the same.

"I hope you will join us as we spend this time volunteering, learning and engaging around Dr. King's legacy and carrying forward his principles in our own community," she said.