UW MLK Symposium

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courtesy APB Speakers

A close-up of Donzaleigh Abernathy.

Donzaleigh Abernathy

Each January, UW-Madison Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement host a speaker to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s address will be given by Dr. King’s goddaughter, Donzaleigh Abernathy, who along with a lifetime in activism is a writer, actress and documentary filmmaker. Tickets are required (including for a livestream option) at artsticketing.wisc.edu; a reception follows.

media release: The MLK Symposium celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a relevant and thought-provoking speaker who connects their speech/performance to the teachings, lessons, and the legacy of MLK. The annual event provides an opportunity for the campus to remember, learn, and act on lessons from King’s legacy of activism, equity, social justice, and community building. The MLK Symposium is jointly sponsored by the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement and Student Affairs in partnership with the Wisconsin Union Theater.

Doors Open at 5 p.m., Wisconsin Union Theater’s Shannon Hall at Memorial Union & Virtual

Actress, author and activist Donzaleigh Abernathy will speak at the 2025 MLK Symposium hosted by Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement. The MLK Symposium will also feature the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives’ first artist-in-residence of 2025 as part of their Hip-Hop Arts Residency Program (HHARP). Stay tuned for the artist announcement in January! Free ticketing for the event will open in January.

About Donzaleigh Abernathy

Donzaleigh Abernathy is the youngest daughter of American Civil Rights Movement co-founder Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy and the goddaughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She has been immersed in civil rights activism with her family since childhood, growing up amidst pivotal events such as the Freedom Riders and the March on Washington. She witnessed first-hand the integral decisions that helped shape federal legislation, including the Civil Rights Bill, the Public Accommodations Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Free Meal Program for Low-Income Students.

She is the author of “Partners to History: Martin Luther King, Ralph David Abernathy and the Civil Rights Movement,” nominated as one of the “Best Books for Young Adults” by the American Library Association. Abernathy is also an accomplished actress who starred in award-winning films and television series, including “Don King-Only in America” and “Miss Evers Boys.” She produced and directed the documentary “Saint Francis Medical Center” and “The Women of Niagara.”  Her play “Birmingham Sunday” won the Tanne Foundation Award.

Abernathy is a founding Trustee of the New Visions Foundation/Coalition for Engaged Education and continues her commitment to social justice and education through her volunteer work with Juveniles in the Los Angeles County Justice System.

5 p.m.: Doors open (general admission; tickets required)

5:30–7 p.m.: MLK Symposium program

7–8:30 p.m.: Reception in Sunset Lounge (light refreshments)