Rap Legend Chuck D to Speak at Bellevue College for MLK Day Celebration

Chuck D, author, producer, activist and the leader of legendary rap group Public Enemy, will be one of the speakers at Bellevue College's MLK Day celebration on Jan. 17.

Chuck D's wife, Gaye Theresa Johnson, will address the celebration, with a presentation titled, “Where Do We Go From Here…Chaos Or Community.”

Public Enemy, led by Chuck D and Flavor Flav, has created influential politically and socially conscious rap music for the past three decades. Songs include "Fight the Power," "Don't Believe the Hype" and "911 is a Joke."

He frequently counters the negative views associated with rap music, and is politically active, having testified before Congress in support of peer-to-peer MP3 sharing, and spoken out against conflict diamonds used in fashion and the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Chuck D also has collaborated on songs and albums with many famous artists, including Janet Jackson, Run-DMC, Ice Cube and John Mellencamp. 

Chuck D's wife, Gaye Theresa Johnson, is an associate professor of Black Studies, as well as an affiliated faculty member in the departments of History and Chicana/o Studies, at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

She holds a doctorate in American Studies from the University of Minnesota, and her areas of expertise are 20th century U.S. history; race and racism; and cultural history with an emphasis on music. Johnson is active with the Los Angeles Community Action Network’s struggle for housing and civil rights on LA’s Skid Row.

The Thursday event is part of a week-long celebration of Dr. King’s life that will include participation by students, faculty and staff in the 31^st Annual MLK Rally and March in Seattle, as well as forums, discussions and presentations on a variety of topics.

The event is sponsored by BC’s Multicultural Services, the Black Student Union, and other campus organizations.

If you go 

Chuck D and Gaye Theresa Johnson will present at the Bellevue College MLK Day Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 17; 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a reception to immediately follow. The presentation will be at Carlson Theater on Bellevue College’s campus, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact BC’s Multicultural Services at (425) 564-4064.