"This year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Lecture at Hope College will feature a speaker best described as a servant leader who uses education and advocacy to ameliorate social inequity. John M. Williams, who is president and CEO of Akron Urban League, will feature the theme “A Woke Messiah: Jesus Died to Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity and Defeat Poverty” on Wednesday, Jan 15, at 6 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel. The public is invited. Admission is free. The lecture presentation will reflect Jesus as a civil rights icon by exploring the theological and social dimensions of Jesus’ mission through the lens of Tzedek — a Hebrew term that appears more than 150 times in ancient Hebraic texts, translated into English as “righteousness” or “justice.” By focusing on Jesus’ defense of the marginalized; his call for societal inclusion; his challenge for system change, such as poverty and oppression; and the whitewash of Christianity, the presentation draws parallels between his teachings and modern civil rights movements. It highlights how Jesus’ pursuit of Tzedek aligns with the ongoing fight for democracy, diversity, and economic justice and the struggle for civil rights… The 2025 Civil Rights Lecture is sponsored by the college’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Cultural Affairs Committee, Culture and Inclusive Excellence, multicultural student organizations and GROW Collaboration, and will be taking place as part of the college’s annual Civil Rights Celebration week. The week honors all persons and groups who have worked toward the advancement of civil rights and social justice, and is organized in conjunction with the national commemoration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., at the corner of College Avenue and 12th Street."