Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Donzaleigh Abernathy, daughter of the Rev. Ralph Abernathy and close friend to Martin Luther King Jr., will kick off GVSU’s MLK Commemoration Week with a keynote presentation Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. in the Kirkhof Center's Grand River Room. The event will also be livestreamed as a Zoom webinar.

As a child, Abernathy witnessed many significant events during the Civil Rights Movement. The Abernathy and King children integrated Spring Street Elementary School in Atlanta, which led to mass integration of schools in the South in 1965. They participated in the March on Washington and the Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights, and were present during integral decisions that helped shape laws such as the Civil Rights and Voting Rights bills.

She has since dedicated her life to civil and human rights. Abernathy authored a young adult book, "Partners To History, Martin Luther King, Ralph David Abernathy and the Civil Rights Movement," and a play, "Birmingham Sunday," which received a Tanne Foundation Award.

A prolific actor, Abernathy has starred in TV movies and series, including "Gods and Generals," "Miss Evers Boys," "Any Day Now," and many others. She is a founding trustee of the New Visions Foundation/Coalition for Engaged Education and volunteers to work with juveniles through Los Angeles County's courts.

Note: In case of inclement weather on Jan. 19, this event will be held in the Kirkhof Center on Jan. 26 at 10 a.m.