Renowned Professor, Author To Speak At 40th Annual Aurora MLK Event

AURORA, IL — A renowned author and Vanderbilt University professor will be the keynote speaker at Aurora's Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony, officials announced Monday.

Michael Eric Dyson, a distinguished professor of African American and diaspora studies at the College of Arts and Science and a distinguished professor of ethics and society at the Divinity School, will give a speech at the 2025 ceremony, taking place at 6 p.m. Jan. 20 at East Aurora High School.

Also the centennial chair at Vanderbilt University, Dyson is the author of 21 books, including two about King, "I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr." and "April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Death and How It Changed America."

"Through his scholarship and public speaking, Dyson seeks to keep King's legacy alive while urging society to embrace the full depth of King's transformative vision," city officials said.

The 2025 ceremony marks the 40th anniversary of the event created by the late Aurora Youth Services Director Fred Rogers, the late Alderwoman Scheketa Hart-Burns and other community leaders to highlight "the impact and influence of the iconic Civil Rights leader."

The theme will be based on the fourth and final book written by King, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"

The ceremony will also feature a tribute to both Hart-Burns and Rogerd, performances, and the Donna J. Williams MLK Service Awards and the Services Above Self MLK Youth Awards presentations.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required.