Bertice Berry is serving as the keynote speaker for the 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

Berry, a former sociology professor at Kent State, published 11 best-selling books and received recognition for her writing. She also received multiple awards for her lecturing, including the Campus Lecturer of the Year award.

Berry has been featured on multiple television shows such as, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and CNN’s “Crossfire.”

In addition to Berry’s speech, The Diversity Trailblazer award and Unity Award for Diversity will be handed out. The awards recognize the contributions Kent State faculty or any department have made that advocate for diversity and inclusiveness.

There is no cost to attend to the MLK celebration, however a ticket is required. Those who want to attend can get tickets on the university’s website.

The event will occur on Jan. 25 at 3:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Kent Student Center.

Erica Carter is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].