MLK Week to Feature Civil Rights Activist Judy Richardson, Pioneering Actor George Takei

Civil rights activist and filmmaker Judy Richardson and pioneering actor and social justice activist George Takei will be the headline speakers on consecutive evenings — Monday, Jan. 27 and Tuesday, Jan. 28, respectively — when Bucknell University commemorates the life and legacy of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) during the University's MLK Week Jan. 20–31.

The performances, lectures, displays, community activities and meals will honor King's legacy under this year's theme "Learning to Action: Movement Toward Just Communities."

"Dr. King consistently referred to the three interconnected evils of the world: racism, poverty and militarism,” says MLK Week Co-chair and Professor Cymone Fourshey, history and international relations, director of Bucknell's Griot Institute for the Study of Black Lives and Cultures. "This year's MLK theme is a call to the community to actively engage in listening, self-reflection, learning and action toward social justice."

"In a time of unrest and conflict, we would like our local community of Bucknellians and our neighbors to take up Dr. King's call to better understand our words and practices as the work of transformation toward beloved community and justice," adds MLK Week Co-chair Rev. Kurt Nelson, director of religious & spiritual life.

About the Headline Speakers

Judy Richardson. Photo courtesy of Judy Richardson.

Judy Richardson will deliver a keynote address on Monday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. in Vaughan Literature Building's Trout Auditorium. A former organizer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the Civil Rights Movement, Richardson will share her experiences as a young activist and her subsequent work as a documentary filmmaker.

Richardson's achievements include her role as associate producer on PBS's seminal series Eyes on the Prize and co-editor of Hands on the Freedom Plow, which collects testimonies from 53 SNCC women. Her storytelling captures the perseverance and dedication of grassroots organizers, offering inspiration for today's social justice movements.

George Takei. Photo courtesy of George Takei.

George Takei will follow on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, an appearance that is part of The Bucknell Forum speaker series. Best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, Takei will recount his family's internment during World War II and discuss his advocacy for civil rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and social justice.

Takei's career spans six decades across television, film and theater. He is the author of four books, including his autobiography To the Stars. His fifth book, the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, was released in July 2019. It highlights the injustices of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, offering a poignant reflection on resilience and justice.

Additional MLK Week Highlights

Artists' Books for Equity: Artists and Authors Advocating for Just Communities will be a showcase through April 1 in Bertrand Library, Main Floor & Special Collections Exhibit Area (Lower Level 1), showcasing artists' books that creatively address social justice issues such as racism, immigration and climate change, illustrating how art can inspire reflection and action.

Singing and Social Justice: A Community Sing will take place on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. in Rooke Chapel. Led by Rev. Angela Jones, Bucknell's 2024-2025 Gospel Music Fellow; and Alisha Lola Jones, associate professor of music in contemporary societies at the University of Cambridge, this interactive workshop explores the power of music in the civil rights movement. Participants will rehearse songs for the Multifaith Commemoration of Dr. King's Legacy on Sunday, Jan. 26, at 11 a.m. in Rooke Chapel.

Exploring Conflict and Culture with Dr. Jen Fry is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Elaine Langone Center (ELC)'s Center Room (Room 256). Fry is a sports geographer, tech founder, TEDx speaker, and sought-after speaker and educator. She owns JenFryTalks, an organizational change firm that sits at the intersection of conflict and culture. It specializes in transforming organizational dynamics by addressing how conflict and culture shape leadership and overall business outcomes. During her Bucknell session, she will reflect on how personal experiences shape current behaviors, offering strategies for engaging in challenging conversations around race and justice.

There are also three community lunch conversations to discuss King in his own words. The first one will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23, at noon in the Bertrand Library traditional reading room (room 213) as Bucknell's literary studies program will present a public reading of excerpts from the work of James Baldwin, one of King's great antiracist interlocutors (RSVP required by Jan. 21). The second, sponsored by the Bucknell Student Government's MLK and Diversity Committees, will bring people together to listen and reflect on King's ideas, heard in his own voice and words, on Friday, Jan. 24, at noon in the Diversity & Inclusion Multipurpose Room, room 045 in the ELC. The final lunch will begin a conversation to reflect on MLK's Dec. 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech on Friday, Jan. 31, at noon in the ELC's Terrace Room (room 276) (RSVP required).

For more information and a full schedule, visit bucknell.edu/mlkweek.

Since 2016, Bucknell has committed to engaging the community in a week of conversations about Dr. King's legacy and philosophies.