Annual MLK Events at Michigan Ross and U-M Explore Themes of Justice, Perseverance, and Unity
Photo by Leisa Thompson from Michigan Photography
The Ross School of Business and the University of Michigan recently hosted the 40th Annual U-M Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium and the 2026 Ross Annual MLK Event. The events featured highly-acclaimed speakers who shared their insights on current issues and the responsibility of colleges and universities to advance social justice.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium
The 2026 MLK Keynote Memorial Lecture — co-sponsored by Michigan Ross, the U-M Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, and Michigan Engineering — featured Donzalieh Abernathy, godchild of Dr. King and renowned civil rights activist, and Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP.
Abernathy and Johnson engaged in a conversation with U-M Professor Alford A. Young Jr., associate director of the Center for Social Solutions, who served as the moderator. Their discussion centered on the symposium’s theme: “Unbowed and Unbroken – The Enduring Struggle for Justice.” They addressed the challenges facing academic communities and the importance of individuals upholding their values and resisting external pressures that may threaten their integrity. Abernathy also called on the youth to harness their education and opportunities to shape the world they envision.
Click below to view the full event, which included a special performance featuring the Detroit Youth Choir.
Ross Annual MLK Event
Steve Pemberton, author, advocate, and management consultant, was the invited speaker at the Ross Annual MLK Event. Pemberton’s talk was titled “Forging a Path Together and Building Our Collective Destiny,” and centered on the theme of collectivism, emphasizing the importance of leveraging society's interconnectedness to make a difference.
Pemberton shared personal reflections on his upbringing as a third-generation orphan raised in foster care. He recounted how ordinary individuals made extraordinary contributions to his life through everyday acts of kindness, which helped him overcome adversity and break the cycle of generational hardship.
Connecting his experience to the broader legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Pemberton emphasized that King’s influence was a result of a collective effort. One example he cited was how, during the March on Washington, Mahalia Jackson encouraged King to veer off-script to deliver his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Pemberton noted that it is often the actions of others, working behind the scenes, that enable leaders to shape history.
