Albion welcomes distinguished professor and noted U.S. education historian specializing in African American education and the civil rights movement for an address on “Teachers as foot soldiers in the Civil Rights Movement.”

Albion College is proud to announce that Dr. Derrick Alridge, the Philip J. Gibson Professor of Education and a distinguished scholar of U.S. educational and intellectual history, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. The event is free and open to the public and will take place on Monday, Jan. 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic Bohm Theatre in downtown Albion.

This annual program is presented in partnership with the Albion Branch NAACP, Albion College’s Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service, the James L. Curtis Institute for Social Change, and the Office of Belonging.

This year’s theme, “Teaching the Dream,” reflects the enduring influence of Dr. King’s legacy and calls on participants to honor the power of Black educators, whom King considered among “the foot soldiers of the movement,” for the pivotal role they played and continue to play in the pursuit of justice and equality.

Alridge is the Philip J. Gibson Professor of Education and a distinguished scholar of U.S. educational and intellectual history. A former middle and high school teacher from South Carolina, Alridge has authored or edited six books and published widely in leading academic journals, establishing himself as a leading voice in the study of American education.

Alridge is co-author of With Faith and God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi, the first comprehensive history of the fraternity since 1963. His scholarship also includes influential work on the Civil Rights Movement, including a widely cited Teachers College Record article examining representations of King in high school history textbooks. Over the course of his career, he has interviewed civil rights leaders such as Julian Bond, Cleveland Sellers, and Andrew Young, while remaining deeply committed to documenting the experiences of teachers whose work in classrooms and communities helped sustain the movement.

He directs the nationally recognized Teachers in the Movement Oral History Project, which draws on more than 500 interviews to illuminate the vital role educators played in the Civil Rights Movement. Rooted in the oral tradition of the Black church, this work reflects his dedication to preserving and amplifying teachers’ voices. He is currently developing Soul Work: An Oral History of Teachers in the Civil Rights Movement and Beyond, a book that extends this groundbreaking research. Over the past four years, Alridge has been recognized as one of the top 200 education researchers in the United States.

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy

The annual MLK Convocation is a time-honored Albion College tradition that brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to commemorate the life and work of Dr. King, Jr. Through reflection, dialogue, and calls to action, the program encourages participants to advance Dr. King’s vision of justice, equity, and peace.

Previous MLK Convocation Speakers

2025: Dr. Ketwana Schoos

2024: Linda Johnson Rice

2023: Michigan Speaker of the House Joe Tate

2022: Reflections from community members

2021: Dr. Oveta Fuller

2020: Judge Dannia Edwards, ’83

2019: Rochelle Riley

2018: Michael Williams, ’78

2017: Eugene Robinson

2016: Diane Nash

2015: Ruth Holland Scott

2014: Julian Bond

2013: Dr. Cleveland Sellers