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Join us for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture sponsored by Akron-Summit County Public Library, the Eta Tau Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Community Action Akron Summit.
The auditorium doors open at 1:30 pm and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Free parking is available in the High Street parking deck on weekends. This event is ASL interpreted.
Join us for our annual signature event—a culturally enriching and thought-provoking afternoon dedicated to reflecting on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year, we are honored to welcome Jelani Cobb—Columbia Journalism School Dean, Peabody Award-winning journalist, and one of today's most compelling voices on race, justice, and American democracy.
Through his groundbreaking work as a staff writer for The New Yorker, and as a correspondent for PBS Frontline documentaries "Policing the Police and Whose Vote Counts," Dr. Cobb confronts the urgent challenges of racial inequality, voting rights, and policing with intellectual rigor and moral clarity. His powerful insights are drawn from his deep experience as a historian, journalist, and public intellectual—blending storytelling with scholarship to illuminate the past and chart a path toward a more just future.
As co-editor of "The Matter of Black Lives," an anthology featuring landmark New Yorker essays by writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, and as editor of the reissued Kerner Commission report, Dr. Cobb continues to lead critical conversations around race, identity, and democracy in America.
In a time marked by a renewed call for racial justice, Dr. Cobb's voice offers both a critical perspective and enduring hope. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the most incisive commentators of our time as he reflects on Dr. King's enduring impact—and the work that still lies ahead.
Jelani Cobb will be signing copies of his book "Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012-Present "at 3:45 pm, and will be available for purchase while supplies last, through the Friends of Main Library.
Main Library, located in the heart of downtown Akron, combines compelling public space with meaningful and relevant public library services for all members of our community. Since opening in 2004, the downtown library welcomes more than one million visitors each year.
Subject divisions include: Business, Government & Science, Culture & AV, Magazines & Newspapers, Special Collections (local history & genealogy), TechZone@Main, Teen, and a 12,000 square feet Children's Library.
Special services available at Main Library include: a Patent & Trademark Resource Center; U.S. Passport and Notary services; a Microbusiness Center; a Maker Space; a resource lab for early childhood educators; and regularly scheduled computer training classes. Also available at Main Library are more than 125 public access computers, color photocopiers/printers, laminating, scanning, faxing, and free Wi-Fi.
Specialized spaces include a 425-seat auditorium, public meeting rooms, and a used bookstore. An interior glass block walkway leads to a 600-space parking garage owned by the City of Akron. An outdoor amphitheater and landscaped park complete the complex.
60 South High Street
Akron, Ohio 44326
330.643.9000
Our Mission: The Akron-Summit County Public Library provides resources for learning and leisure, information services, meeting spaces, and programs for all ages that support, improve, and enrich individual, family, and community life.
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