Aiken Technical College and the University of South Carolina Aiken will present the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration on Sunday, January 24 at 3 p.m. In consideration for guests’ well-being and safety, the event will be held virtually via the institutions’ Facebook and YouTube pages.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Benedict College President Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, who will speak on Dr. King’s quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” the theme for the 2021 event.

Dr. Artis has served as President of Benedict College since June of 2017 and is the first female president of the college. She is an advocate for education, youth development, and service to the community. In 2019, Dr. Artis was named among the “Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education” in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the 2019 Educator of the Year by the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., and is a Walker Legacy Award recipient.

Dr. Artis is also actively involved with numerous organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Links, Inc., and Jack & Jill of America.

In addition to the keynote speaker, the event will include recognition of the winners of the annual creative visual and essay contests and the recipients of the Human & Civil Rights Champion Awards.

Sponsors for the event:

• Gold Sponsor: Chandler Law Firm

• Silver Sponsor: Savannah River Remediation and SRP Federal Credit Union

• Bronze Sponsor: Aiken Electric Cooperative, AT&T, City of Aiken, Mead Hall, and Security Federal Bank

• Community Supporters: Aiken Chapter of the Links, Aiken County Branch of the NAACP, Aiken County Government, Stephanie Franklin, and Kappa Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.