The fifth annual MLK: Beyond the Dream Series kicks off on Wednesday, January 21. This series explores under studied aspects of Dr. King’s work and legacy as well as the Civil Rights movement as a whole. Past speakers have examined issues such as women and LGBTQ members of the movement and how Dr. King’s work influences contemporary movements.
“Dr. King’s Time in South Jersey and Philadelphia,” a conversation with Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler, will take place on Wednesday, January 21 during the free period (11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.) in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Campus Center. Lunch will be served. Registration is requested.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was deeply impacted by his time in the South Jersey and Philadelphia region; come and learn more about how his experiences in this region influenced his civil rights work nationally.
The Reverend Mark Kelly Tyler, Ph.D., is an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the 15th Historiographer of the denomination, where he directs research, preservation, and scholarship across five continents. A graduate of Clark Atlanta University, Payne Theological Seminary, and the University of Dayton, he served congregations nationwide, including 16 years as pastor of historic Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia. Dr. Tyler is also a documentary filmmaker, theological educator, and community leader whose work includes voter mobilization through Black Faith Votes and co-directing Live Free USA in Philadelphia, helping to establish the city’s first Citizen’s Police Oversight Commission. A sought-after voice on Black history and social justice, he has appeared in national documentaries, hosted radio shows, and now curates the YouTube channel Black History on Two Wheels.