Submitted by The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College’s Tacoma Campus proudly presents an event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. beginning at noon, Friday, January 14, 2022. To follow all COVID-19 protocols, the event will be held virtually via Zoom.
This event will feature Evergreen’s new Executive Vice President, Dr. Dexter Gordon.
Gordon has a national reputation for his work on equity and inclusion as well as his leadership on curriculum reform in higher education. He has a long record of grounded, transformational, community educational work in the Pacific Northwest. As the founding director of the Race and Pedagogy Institute at the University of Puget Sound, he also served as a distinguished professor, a Dolliver Endowed Chair, director of the African American Studies, program and professor of communication studies.
He is described by colleagues as a grounded, sharp and impressive teacher, scholar and leader, whose teaching and scholarship are marked by an intrepid critical questioning and integration, care for the textures of peoples’ experiences of learning and other aspects of living, and a penchant for taking on sweeping and ranging social, political, and ethical questions. His scholarship, experience and expertise are guided by his vision of comprehensive community development grounded in equity and justice for all.
In 2018 Gordon was the recipient of the City of Tacoma’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award because of his community work, exemplary leadership and advocacy for embracing racial and cultural differences.
While Evergreen is celebrating its 50th year, this event is a kick-off to the college’s Tacoma Campus’ 20th anniversary as a beloved fixture in the city’s Hilltop Neighborhood. The campus offers adult learners a rich, interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes the whole student and focuses on change-making and transformative leadership. The campus will be hosting a virtual lecture series on Fridays in February in honor of Black History Month and will host a “Founders Day” program and celebration on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
This Friday’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. virtual event is open to the public and all are welcome to participate. Just click on the Zoom link to join.
