Civil rights activist, author, and CNN commentator Bakari Sellers will serve as the keynote speaker for Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo’s 17th annual “Doing the Dream” programs honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sellers will speak at the event’s annual student convocation and community banquet Jan. 29; all activities will be presented virtually. Northeast Indiana high school students are invited to attend alongside Ivy Tech Fort Wayne and Warsaw students.
“Our format has changed this year, moving to virtual presentations so we can reach as many people as possible while responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19,” said Ivy Tech Kokomo Chancellor Dean McCurdy. “We remain proud and excited to continue our ‘Doing the Dream’ tradition by bringing to the Hoosier state a dynamic figure with growing recognition on the national stage.”
Ivy Tech Fort Wayne and Warsaw’s Director of Student Success and Engagement and Diversity Lead JoAnne Alvarez, Ed.D., noted the virtual format will allow students and community members from around Indiana to participate in the event without traveling to Kokomo.
“This cultural celebration is an opportunity to bring our students and communities together throughout the state of Indiana,” said Alvarez. “Ivy Tech provides an educational platform where we can safely challenge our thoughts, broaden our understanding, create dialogue and have the opportunity to engage with others who are looking to embrace the beauty of diversity.”
Considered by many to be a man who represents a new generation of leadership, Sellers first made history in 2006 when, at just 22 years old, he defeated a 26-year incumbent state representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African American elected official in the nation. He now practices law in Columbia, S.C., and is a political commentator at CNN. He has followed in the footsteps of his father, civil rights leader Dr. Cleveland Sellers, with a tireless commitment to championing progressive policies to address national issues. His first book, “My Vanishing Country,” was released earlier this year and is a New York Times Bestseller.
Learn more or reserve your seat at ivytech.edu/kokomo/dream.
Inside Ivy Tech 