Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Event
The 35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Brunch
Thursday, January 23, 2025 | 11 a.m.
The Gothic Lounge (Hepburn Hall Room 202)
Program
Opening Remarks/Event Chair
Lewis Spears, Ed. M., Director of the Dr. Lee Hagan Africana Studies Center
Welcome
Andrés Acebo, Interim President, NJCU
Lift Ev’ry Voice
Majestic Lopez, First-Year Student, Music B.A.
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Dr. Jonelle Knox, Assistant Provost, NJCU
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Larry Johnson, President, Stella and Charles Guttman Community College (CUNY)
Student Scholarship Awards
Ky’shon Tate, Third-Year Student, Sports Management
Spoken Word
Sarah Ruilova, Fourth-Year Student, Psychology
Closing Remarks
Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams, Artist | Scholar | Author | Activist | Minister
Food is served.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Larry D. Johnson Jr. has served as the second president of the Stella and Charles Guttman Community College-CUNY since July 2021. Prior to joining Guttman, Johnson served as the first Black president of Phoenix College—a first in the college’s 100-year history. He has also served as provost, department chair, and a full-time faculty at two and four-year institutions.
Dr. Johnson is a fierce advocate for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in higher education. He has been instrumental in cultivating an ecosystem that supports culturally responsive pedagogy and establishing the vision for the institution to holistically support students, faculty, and staff.
Dr. Johnson provides expertise and service to numerous national organizations including the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Commission on Small and Rural Colleges and Phipps Neighborhood. Additionally, he has received national and community awards such as the Power Players in Education, the Schneps Media Manhattan Power List, the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society Paragon Award, and the Most Admired Leaders Award. He is also a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.
Dr. Johnson holds a B.A. in English literature from Florida A&M University (FAMU), a master's in Humanities and a graduate certificate in institutional research from Florida State University, and a Doctor of Arts in English literature from Clark Atlanta University.