Annual MLK Jr. scholarship breakfast to feature Michael Eric Dyson

Best-selling author, scholar and cultural critic Michael Eric Dyson will be the keynote speaker Jan. 19 for Rowan University’s 29^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast.

A familiar guest on such programs as Real Time with Bill Maher and The Tavis Smiley Show and a frequent commentator on MSNBC, Dr. Dyson has authored more than a dozen books including April 4, 1968, the story of MLK Jr.’s assassination and how it changed America. He’s an American Book Award recipient and two-time NAACP Image Award winner.

Proclaimed by Ebony magazine one of the 150 most powerful African Americans, Dr. Dyson has taught at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities including Brown, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania and today holds the title of University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

An ordained Baptist minister at 19 years of age, Dr. Dyson entered college at 21 after stints as a Detroit factory worker, graduated magna cum laude from Carson–Newman College and earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in religion from Princeton University.

R.J. Tallarida Jr., Rowan University associate vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Rowan University Foundation, said he expects the annual breakfast fundraiser to be uplifting and educational.

“Rowan historically has done a great job recruiting nationally known speakers for this event,” Tallarida said. “From individuals who were there, marching with Dr. King, to people who’ve done documentaries on it, we’ve sought keynote speakers whose message reflected their actions and Dr. Dyson is no exception. He’s an important scholar, writer and cultural critic and we think people will be excited about him.”

Tickets to the breakfast are still available and cost $75 per person or $600 for a table of eight.

All proceeds will support the William H. Myers Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships of $1,000 each to high achieving freshmen with financial need. The scholarship is renewable for four years as long as students maintain a strong academic record.

Tallarida said the breakfast, which typically sells out in advance, also supports the four-pillar platform on which Rowan President Dr. Ali Houshmand envisions future growth for the university: access, affordability, high quality education, and serving as an economic engine for the region.

“This annual program helps enable students who need financial assistance to get a first class education,” he said. “At the same time, it brings in a lot of people – corporate sponsors, clergymen and women, parents, grandparents and children who aren’t normally on campus. It’s an opportunity for them to not only celebrate and honor Dr. King’s legacy but to enjoy a wonderful breakfast and see some of the great things happening on campus.”

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast will be held January 19 at 9:30 a.m. in the Eynon Ballroom of the Chamberlain Student Center.

For tickets, please visit the 2015 MLK, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast webpage or call Kathy Rozanski at 856-256-5405 or Janice Brown at 856-256-5410.