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Naim Edwards, a former Peace Corps volunteer who is involved in the water, land and food justice movements, will present a keynote address as part of Allegheny College’s weeklong celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The free, public talk will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. in the Tippie Alumni Center on the Allegheny campus.

Edwards will discuss themes of justice, anti-racism work and environmental and food sustainability. He lives in Detroit and is the garden designer and program manager for Voices for Earth Justice, promoting and managing urban and community gardens and sustainable food systems.

Edwards completed undergraduate studies at Morehouse College, Martin Luther King Jr.’s alma mater. From Morehouse, Edwards joined the Peace Corps, spending two years in Ecuador as a natural resource conservation and sustainable agriculture volunteer. He later earned a master’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Michigan.

In addition to Edwards’ talk, other public events during the weeklong celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. include:

• Shabbat celebration with the Allegheny College chapter of Hillel at the Jewish Community Center (379 Park Ave, Meadville) on Friday, Jan. 20, at 5 p.m.
• Chapel congregation hosts MLK service with guest speaker John Christie Searles on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 11 a.m. in Ford Memorial Chapel. Christie-Searles in a visiting assistant professor of political science and black studies at Allegheny College.

Click here for a complete schedule of Martin Luther King Jr. Week Celebration events.

For more information, contact the Allegheny College Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Social Justice (IDEAS) Center at (814) 332-2718.