Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation

Join us Monday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at the Bohm Theatre!

Derrick AldridgeAlbion College is proud to announce that Dr. Derrick P. Alridge, the Philip J. Gibson Professor of Education at the University of Virginia and a distinguished scholar of U.S. educational and intellectual history, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. The event is free and open to the public and will take place on Monday, January 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic Bohm Theatre in downtown Albion.

This annual program is presented in partnership with the Albion Branch NAACP, Albion College’s Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, the James L. Curtis Institute for Social Change, and the Office of Belonging.

This year’s theme, “Teaching the Dream,” reflects the enduring influence of Dr. King’s legacy and calls on participants to honor the power of Black educators, whom Dr. King considered among “the footsoldiers of the movement,” for the pivotal role they played and continue to play in the pursuit of justice and equality.

About the Speaker

Dr. Derrick P. Alridge is the Philip J. Gibson Professor of Education and a distinguished scholar of U.S. educational and intellectual history. A former middle and high school teacher from South Carolina, Alridge has authored or edited six books and published widely in leading academic journals, establishing himself as a leading voice in the study of American education.

Alridge is co-author of With Faith and God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi, the first comprehensive history of the fraternity since 1963. His scholarship also includes influential work on the Civil Rights Movement, including a widely cited Teachers College Record article examining representations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in high school history textbooks. Over the course of his career, he has interviewed civil rights leaders such as Julian Bond, Cleveland Sellers, and Andrew Young, while remaining deeply committed to documenting the experiences of teachers whose work in classrooms and communities helped sustain the movement.

He directs the nationally recognized Teachers in the Movement Oral History Project, which draws on more than 500 interviews to illuminate the vital role educators played in the Civil Rights Movement. Rooted in the oral tradition of the Black church, this work reflects his dedication to preserving and amplifying teachers’ voices. He is currently developing Soul Work: An Oral History of Teachers in the Civil Rights Movement and Beyond, a book that extends this groundbreaking research. Over the past four years, Alridge has been recognized as one of the top 200 education researchers in the United States.

Honoring Dr. King's Legacy

The annual MLK Convocation is a time-honored Albion College tradition that brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through reflection, dialogue, and calls to action, the program encourages participants to advance Dr. King’s vision of justice, equity, and peace.

The event will open with welcome remarks by Rivkah Gamble, associate director of belonging at Albion College, followed by a brief history of the convocation delivered by Professor of History Emeritus Wesley Dick. The Albion Concert Choir, student leaders, and leaders of the Albion Branch of the NAACP will also participate in the convocation.

The invocation will be delivered by Pastor Rachel Labram of Albion’s First United Methodist Church. Pastor Rachel began serving First UMC in July of 2025, and she is also appointed as pastor at Concord UMC. Labram continues her seminary education at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. She brings deep community roots to her ministry – having grown up in nearby Tekonsha – and a commitment to local engagement and spiritual leadership. In Albion, she has already initiated new fellowship opportunities for Albion College students and is eager to further First UMC’s outreach to families in the Albion community. Pastor Rachel serves on the boards of There’s Enough Community Exchange Store and Forks Senior Center, and she is a Dean at Lake Louise Christian Community.

Previous MLK Convocation speakers have included:

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