By Kenya Godette
91Ƭ will host Dwight S. Riddick II, Ph.D. and Jennell Whitfield Riddick, Ph.D., to lead a community conversation titled “Building the Beloved Community” at its 41st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Observance on January 29.
The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Big Blue Room at Chartway Arena. Registration is encouraged.
Drs. Dwight and Jennell Riddick will discuss chapters from "The Trumpet of Conscience," a series of lectures written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967, within the context of modern-day cultural, social and political structures. Questions from the audience will be accepted.
Dr. Dwight Riddick is a global speaker specializing in leadership development and helping organizations and individuals reach their maximum potential. He has more than 10 years of experience in executive coaching and more than 17 years in organizational leadership.
Dr. Jennell Riddick is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Walk In It Inc., a multistate organization that empowers girls and women towards holistic health. She has won several awards for community impact, including the National Black Student Conference Legacy Award, authored three books and hosts the podcast “Above the Noise.”
The event will also include the presentation of the 91Ƭ Hugo Owens Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award to Jonathan Zur, president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC). The award recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that have made considerable contributions to civil rights, politics, housing and social programs. Owens, a civil rights leader in Hampton Roads who died in 2009, served as the first African American rector of the University’s Board of Visitors from 1990 to 1994 and was a tireless advocate for the University.
Under Zur’s leadership, the VCIC has been locally and nationally recognized for its effectiveness and is noted in “NO COLORS: 100 Ways to Stop Gangs from Taking Away Our Communities” as the best in the nation for promoting nonviolence and understanding in a high school.
Among his many accolades, Zur has received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award, the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award and the Leadership Metro Richmond Ukrop Community Vision Award.