Maya Wiley To Deliver 2019 MLK Breakfast Keynote Address

Dedicated to the mission and vision of preparing students to engage in a global society, the MSC Carter G. Woodson Black Awareness Committee (MSC WBAC) at Texas A&M University welcomes activist and renowned social justice expert, Maya Wiley to deliver the 12th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast keynote address.

The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Memorial Student Center Bethancourt Ballroom Thursday, Jan. 17. Breakfast will be served at 9 a.m.

Kayla Hood, student director of the MLK Breakfast, believes Wiley is a living embodiment of this year’s theme, “My Persistence is My Resistance: The Effectiveness of Civil Disobedience.”

“Being a black woman, I am inspired and encouraged by Maya Wiley to continue to spread the message and raise awareness of the importance of speaking truth to power and pressing through adversity,” she said. “Having the opportunity to bring a speaker of this caliber to campus has been a great learning experience for myself and the strong team behind me.”

Wiley is a nationally renowned expert on racial justice and equity. She has litigated, lobbied the U.S. Congress, and developed programs to transform structural racism in the U.S. and in South Africa. Wiley is currently the Senior Vice President for Social Justice at the New School and the Henry Cohen Professor of Urban Policy and Management at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management & Urban Policy. She is also the Chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) – the independent oversight agency for the City’s Police Department.

“As a daughter of a civil rights leader, Maya Wiley continues to take up the mantle of justice and inclusion,” said Lydell Graham, program advisor, MSC WBAC. “We are beyond honored to host such an esteemed individual to continue our legacy of transformational learning.”

Tickets are $10 and are available at the MSC Box Office located in the first floor lobby of Rudder Tower. Tickets are also available online through the MSC box office or by calling (979) 845-1234.