Michigan Ross and the U-M Community Explore Activism, Community, and History at Annual MLK Events
The Ross School of Business and the University of Michigan recently welcomed two highly acclaimed speakers to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and legacy at the 39th Annual U-M Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium and the 2025 Ross Annual MLK Event. Both speakers focused on activism and fighting inequities.
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium
The 2025 MLK Keynote Memorial Lecture, co-sponsored by Michigan Ross and the U-M Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, featured Erika Alexander, actress, director, producer, and activist, as the keynote speaker.
Alexander engaged in a conversation with Daphne C. Watkins, Letha A. Chadiha Collegiate Professor of Social Work and University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor from the U-M School of Social Work.
Alexander responded to Watkins’ questions related to the symposium theme, “Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality,” and drew from her life experiences, including her childhood growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Throughout the conversation, Alexander emphasized the importance of community and reflected on how having a strong community of diverse individuals who supported her and her family throughout her childhood positively impacted her as a young Black woman and taught her skills of adaptability.
Alexander also discussed the importance of knowing what inspires you and allowing it to inform your actions. She also share how she has personally used art and storytelling as a tool for activism. Toward the end of the conversation, Alexander offered the following advice: “Get on with it. Don’t overthink it. And young activists, do you know what? Suck it up, man. Life is disappointing, but don’t get discouraged. And don’t stop just because you did one thing.”
Ross Annual MLK Event
At the Ross Annual MLK Event, Dr. Nyle Fort, minister, activist, scholar, and co-founder of the Maroon Project, was invited to speak on “Community Organizing and Strategies of Activism.”
Fort began his talk by thanking his family, the people who have inspired him, the Michigan Ross community, and the Michigan Ross Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Throughout his talk, he emphasized how social justice is a “team sport." He referenced his way of giving thanks as an acknowledgment that even his talk at Michigan Ross cannot be attributed to him alone but was made possible by many other people.
The importance of working together in activism carried through Fort’s talk, especially as he drew from the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the many people, including authors and artists, who paved the way for Martin Luther King, Jr. to rise to influence, therefore illustrating how “the movement made King. King didn’t make the movement.”
As Fort responded to questions after his talk, he encouraged the audience to view themselves as part of a team when thinking of activism and to work to identify their personal roles in inspiring change.
