Dr. Jeanne Theoharis to keynote celebration of Dr. King’s enduring legacy

CHICAGO — Jeanne Theoharis, professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, will keynote the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunrise Celebration during the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The celebration will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 in room 611-614 of the Washington State Convention Center.

Dr. Theoharis received her AB in Afro-American studies from Harvard College and her PhD in American culture from the University of Michigan. She is the author or coauthor of six books and numerous articles on the black freedom struggle and the contemporary politics of race in the United States. Her latest book, "The Rebellious Mrs. Rosa Parks" (Beacon, 2013) presents a corrective to the popular iconography of Parks as the quiet seamstress who with a single act birthed the modern civil rights movement, revealing a civil rights movement radical who fought to expose and eradicate the American racial caste system in jobs, schools, public services and criminal justice. The release of the book will coincide with Rosa Parks' 100^th birthday on Feb. 4, 2013.

Joining Dr. Harris at this year’s celebration will be 2013 Call-to-Action Speaker Dr. Sandra Hughes-Hassell, professor at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her current research focuses on social justice issues in youth library services and the role of school librarians in education reform. Her most recent book is "Urban Teens in the Library: Research and Practice" (ALA Editions, 2010), which she co-edited with Denise E. Agosto. Recent journal publications include articles in Library Quarterly, Library and Information Science Research, School Library Research and Teacher Librarian. She teaches courses in services to diverse youth populations, materials for young adults and the development of school library media programs.

The theme of the 2013 celebration will be “Stride Towards Freedom,” and will bring together leaders from across the association, including 2012-13 ALA President Maureen Sullivan and ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. Featured readings will include selected readings from the works of Dr. King.

Light refreshments will be served thanks to the generous sponsorship of World Book, Inc. Attendance is open to all attendees of the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting. For more information, please visit www.alamidwinter.org.

The ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) is a unit within the American Library Association. It works to make ALA more democratic and to establish progressive priorities not only for the Association, but also for the entire profession. Concern for human and economic rights was an important element in the founding of SRRT and remains an urgent concern today. SRRT believes that libraries and librarians must recognize and help solve social problems and inequities in order to carry out their mandate to work for the common good and bolster democracy. SRRT’s main website is hosted at libr.org/SRRT.

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association, serves as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation's African-American community; and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African-American librarians. To learn more about BCALA, please visit www.bcala.org/.

Beacon Press is a 160 year old independent nonprofit publisher of books on social change, history, religion, the environment, science and society. Its mission is to promote freedom of speech and thought; diversity, religious pluralism, anti-racism; and respect for diversity in all areas of life. Beacon is partnering with the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. in a new publishing program, "The King Legacy," to print new editions of previously published King titles and compile Dr. King's writings, sermons, orations, lectures, and prayers into entirely new editions, including significant new introductions by leading scholars. To learn more about Beacon Press, please visit www.beacon.org.

World Book sets the standard in publishing accurate, current, and reliable reference and learning materials for children and adults. Based in Chicago, World Book is committed to creating educational products that meet the highest standards of editorial excellence in print and online. This commitment has resulted in a wide range of products including the number-one selling The World Book Encyclopedia and the World Book Web, which is the most comprehensive and authoritative online solution to meet the diverse learning needs of students and includes the World Book Online Reference Center, www.worldbookonline.com, World Book Kids, and World Book Advanced.