WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 18, 2019) — Justin Hansford, professor of law and executive director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center at Howard University School of Law, will deliver the keynote speech at the 47^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Rockville, MD on Monday, January 21 at 11 a.m. The theme of the celebration, Enduring Hope, Enduring Progress, reflects the movement toward progress as one fraught with obstacles, yet filled with hope.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day always serves as a reminder of both how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go in the struggle for equal justice under law and civil rights,” says Hansford. “In that spirit, it’s a great pleasure and an even greater honor to be invited to give the keynote address at Rockville’s 47^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration.”

The celebration will be held at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville and admission to the event is free and open to the public. The celebration will include several artists and performers. Attendees are invited to take part in community service activities as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service before and after the program.

The program’s theme Enduring Hope is appropriate: social movements across the country, from Black Lives Matter to Standing Rock to the Women’s March, have given us more hope than usual that, regardless of the hardships we may face in the country currently, the moral reply from the youth especially of this nation, is a cause for good cheer and hope.

For more information about the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration in Rockville, MD visit the City of Rockville website.

*Featured image courtesy of the National Park Service

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu