MLK Convocation – Dr. Derrick Aldridge

Dr. Derrick P. Alridge to deliver keynote speech at Albion’s 2026 MLK Convocation
Albion College invites students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to gather for the 2026 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation featuring Dr. Derrick P. Alridge, a nationally recognized scholar of U.S. educational history specializing in African American education and the civil rights movement. Dr. Alridge will deliver a keynote address titled “Teachers as Footsoldiers in the Civil Rights Movement” on Monday, January 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic Bohm Theatre. This year’s theme, Teaching the Dream, honors Dr. King’s legacy by centering the vital role Black educators played—and continue to play—in advancing justice and equality. The event is free and open to the public.
Presented in partnership with the Albion Branch NAACP, Albion College’s Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, James L. Curtis Institute for Social Change, and the Office of Belonging, the convocation continues a cherished Albion tradition of reflection, dialogue, and action. A former middle and high school teacher and director of the Teachers in the Movement Oral History Project, Dr. Alridge brings more than 500 interviews and decades of scholarship to illuminate educators’ impact within the Civil Rights Movement—inviting all in attendance to consider how teaching remains a powerful force for change today.
In addition to the featured speaker, the convocation will include remarks from Rivkah Gamble, associate director of belonging; a brief history of the convocation by Professor of History Emeritus Wesley Dick; an invocation by Pastor Rachel Labram of Albion’s First United Methodist Church; musical selections by the Albion Concert Choir; contributions from student leaders; and participation by representatives of the Albion Branch of the NAACP—reflecting the College’s commitment to community, leadership, and shared purpose.
Learn more at albion.edu/mlk.

Location: Off Campus