Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Speakers

1987
Dick Gregory, Comedian and political activist
1988
John Lewis, Congressman from Georgia
1989
Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Associate of Martin Luther King, Jr. and leader of the Southern Christian Leadership (SCLC)
1990
Dr. Mary Berry
1991
Rev. Tyrone Crider
1992
Dr. James Cone
1993
Ms. Naomi Tutu
1994
Dr. George Subira
1995
Dr. Micheal E. Dyson, Professor, Communications Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
1996
Dr. Michael K. Honey
1997
Shirley Chisholm, Former United States Representative
1998
Myrlie Evers-Williams, Chair, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and widow of Medgar Evers
1999
Manning Marable, Historian and author; Professor at Columbia University
2000
David Dinkins, Former mayor of New York City
2001
Harman Boone, Former football coach; inspiration for "Remember the Titans"
2002
Dr. Jocelyn Elders, Fisrt African American woman to be US Surgeon General
2003
Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles, Pastor at Monumental Baptist Church, Memphis and was with Martin Luther King, Jr. during last hour
2004
Franklin McCain, One of Greensboro Four
2005
Julian Bond, Chairman, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and former Georgia senator
2006
Angela Davis, Professor at University of California at Berkley, member of the Black Panthers, political activist and 1960’s radical
2007
Rev. Dr, Joseph Lowery, Civil Rights Activist
2008
Bernice A. King, Attorney, mediator and daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr.
2009
Rev. Al Sharpton,
2010
Dr. Mae Jemison
2011
Dr. Terrence Roberts
2012
Elaine Brown
2013
Dick Gregory
2014
Jeff Johnson
2015
Sonia Sanchez
2016
Dr. Julianne Malveaux
2017
DeRay McKesson
2018
Payton Head
2019
Ilyasah Shabazz
2020
Natalie Warne
2021
Held virtually due to COVID-student panel-Edmond Gayton from UNCG, Arthur Claiborne from N.C. A&T, and Mariam Sheriff from Guilford College