This event is presented in Partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Week Organizing Committee

Join the University of Utah at the Hinckley Institute of Politics on Friday, January 24th from 12:00-1:00pm for a special MLK Week educational panel discussion! Our discussion, titled “Theory into Action: Using Your Education in Service of Justice," will reflect on the concept of praxis, how students can apply their education for change, and how these concepts relate to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. This event features a panel of distinguished students and faculty from our campus who will share insights on social justice, community empowerment, and the ongoing impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work. Lunch provided!

Panelists: 

• Alejo Stark (he/him):
  • Alejo Stark (he/him) recently earned his Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) at the University of Michigan. His research crosses disciplinary borders between science, philosophy, politics, and culture. Alejo grew up in Argentina and migrated to the United States with his parents. As a first-generation immigrant student transferring from Miami Dade Community College, he graduated with an ScB in Physics and a BA in Africana Studies from Brown University. He pursued a similarly expansive program of study at the University of Michigan, where he also earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics and an M.A. in Philosophy. In his Ph.D. work in RLL, he combined his interests in the history and philosophy of science and how these fields shape and are shaped by current debates within Indigenous and Latin American Studies. He is currently working on a book project that theorizes how Peruvian socialist philosophers, Argentine human rights activists and Indigenous rebels in México have taken up science for their own emancipatory projects. And he is finishing a translated anthology tentatively titled The Zapatista ConCiencias: For a Science from Below and to the Left on the two Zapatista encuentros with scientists in Chiapas, México, in which he participated as an astrophysicist.
• Dr. Jarrel T. Johnson (he/him):
  • Dr. Jarrel T. Johnson (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah. His scholarship employs organizational and Black queer theoretical frameworks to qualitatively interrogate issues of queer and trans* student inclusion at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Dr. Johnson is currently leading a research study examining the health, well-being, and success experiences of Black queer and trans* students enrolled at HBCUs.  
• Gabriela Merida (she/her/ella):
  • Gabriela Merida (she/her/ella) is an undergraduate at the University of Utah studying Political Science and Ethnic Studies. She serves as Secretary for Communication Workers of America Local 7765 and is a member of the United Campus Workers of Utah, organizing to strengthen labor movements in education and healthcare. A committed community organizer and member of Armed Queers, Gaby organizes to build political power among the working class and provide defense for oppressed communities in Salt Lake City. Previously, as a member of Mecha de U of U, she organized solidarity actions for Queer, and Trans students and Palestinians while providing radical political education to students. She believes we must heed the words of Dr. King when he says, 'We must see now that the evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are all tied together... you can't really get rid of one without getting rid of the others... the whole structure of American life must be changed.
• Nevaeh Parker (she/her):
  • Nevaeh Parker (she/her) is a passionate leader, poet, and advocate for justice, currently serving as the president of the Black Student Union and Assistant Director of the Culture and Belonging Board at the University of Utah. A sophomore studying political science with a minor in African American experiences, she is dedicated to her education and the opportunities it brings. As an intern with Salt Lake Peer Court, she contributes to and values restorative justice initiatives. Through leadership, education, and most especially- poetry, she aims to amplify marginalized voices, uplift her community, promote radical empathy, and create and defend safe spaces where we all can thrive.

All are invited to attend! Learn more at mlkweek.utah.edu

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The Hinckley Institute neither supports nor opposes the views stated in this forum.