Newly elected Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens will be the keynote speaker at Syracuse University’s Doctor Martin Luther King Junior celebration later this month. This year’s theme is “the Dream Lives Here.”
“Dr. King’s dream truly does live here—and it continues to guide us. As we mark the 41st Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, we are honored to welcome Mayor Sharon Owens as our keynote speaker," said Alison Murray, assistant dean for student assistance at Hendricks Chapel and this year’s MLK Celebration chairperson in a release.
Murray called the election, in which Owens earned more than 70% of the vote, historic “as Syracuse’s first Black mayor (and) affirms that Dr. King’s dream is alive and thriving in our community."
Owens grew up in Geneva, NY, studied at SU, and served as the city’s Deputy Mayor for the past eight years. Before that, she had leadership roles in several community non-profits, including PEACE, Inc., Jubilee Homes, Home Headquarters and Syracuse Community Connections at the Southwest Community Center.
The celebration includes an optional dinner, the unsung hero awards, and performances by students and community groups.
The MLK event is considered the largest on a college campus in the nation. The formal program takes place Sunday January 25th at 6:15.
