University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Commemorates Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month 2025
Darrick Hamilton, PhD, a well-regarded scholar, economist, and intellectual nationally recognized for his research and work in actively advancing racial and economic justice through movement organizing, will be the keynote speaker at UMB’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month Celebration.
Hamilton’s keynote message is “Fulfilling Dr. King’s Legacy from Civil Rights to Economic Rights: Causes, Consequences, and Remedies to Fulfill Economic and Racial Justice.”
The right to vote when you’re hungry, or the right to protest when you’re unhoused, is not justice. To ensure people have the necessary resources to thrive, historical, political, and economic strategies must be employed. This involves building upon the legacies of the past to achieve economic and racial justice and identifying ways to promote collective progress and racial equity.
A 10-minute question-and-answer session will follow his speech.
The celebration will also feature a spoken-word performance by Lady Brion, MFA, an international spoken-word artist, activist, organizer, and educator. Lady Brion serves as the executive director of the Black Arts District, an organization she founded in 2019. In 2024, she was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore as the poet laureate of Maryland, making her the youngest poet laureate in Maryland’s history and the only spoken-word artist to hold this position.
Thursday, Feb. 6
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
MSTF Leadership Hall
Reception/light lunch to follow in the Atrium.