TACOMA, WA – The University of Puget Sound is pleased to invite the South Sound community to its 39th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, featuring a keynote lecture by the Rev. Leslie D. Braxton ’83 on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
A renowned pastor, theologian, and social justice advocate, Rev. Braxton will deliver a thought-provoking address on the theme “Martin Luther King Jr.: A Model of Moral Leadership in an Immoral Empire.”
“The University of Puget Sound is honored to welcome back Rev. Braxton, a distinguished alumnus and powerful voice for justice,” said President Isiaah Crawford. “ As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, Rev. Braxton’s insights will be instrumental in guiding us forward in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world.”
Raised in Tacoma’s Hilltop District, Rev. Braxton is a passionate advocate for racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice. As a preacher, professor, and community leader, he has dedicated his life to challenging systems of inequality while uplifting individuals and communities. He is also the visionary behind Songs of Black Folk, an annual Juneteenth musical production celebrating the evolution of African American music and culture.
Braxton received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Puget Sound in 1983. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1987 and a Doctor of Ministry degree in the study of Afri-Centric Bible Hermeneutics from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, in 1996.
The celebration will take place at 7 p.m., Jan. 23, 2025, in Kilworth Memorial Chapel. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, please visit pugetsound.edu/mlkjrcelebration.
This event is hosted by the Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity in collaboration with the Swope Endowed Lectures, made possible by an endowment established in honor of Puget Sound alumna Jane Hammer Swope, Class of 1942.
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About Puget Sound
A nationally ranked residential liberal arts college in Tacoma, Washington, University of Puget Sound enrolls 1,600 undergraduate students from across the country and around the world, as well as 250 graduate students in education, counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and public health. A low student-faculty ratio provides Puget Sound students with personal attention from faculty members who have a strong commitment to teaching and offer 1,200 courses each year in more than 50 areas of study. Puget Sound graduates include Rhodes and Luce scholars, notables in the arts and culture, scholars and scientists, entrepreneurs and elected officials, and leaders in business and finance locally and throughout the world. A top producer of Fulbright scholars, Puget Sound is the only nationally ranked independent liberal arts college in Western Washington, and one of just five independent colleges in the Northwest granted a charter by Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. As part of its commitment to expanding access to higher education, Puget Sound offers the first accredited bachelor’s degree program in a prison in Washington state.
