Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
I am delighted to announce that Darren Walker will deliver the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture on Monday, October 27.
President Walker will join us as his twelve-year tenure leading the Ford Foundation comes to a close. Since 2013, he has pursued the mission of one of the nation’s greatest philanthropic institutions with creativity, intensity, and urgency, focusing on “not just wealth disparities, but injustices in politics, culture and society that compound inequality and limit opportunity.” This broader and deeper remit, combined with his own lasting commitment to both hope and justice, has opened new possibilities for individuals and communities, including our own, to make meaningful and lasting change in the world.
With powerful essays and letters infused with the enduring wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Walker, a 2017 Harvard W. E. B. Du Bois Medalist, has shaped the national discourse on a variety of social issues. He has described his newest book, The Idea of America: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share, as “a summons to every American who believes in the promise of this country. It asks us to resist despair, reject extremes, and embrace the hard, necessary work of building bridges across our divides.” At this challenging time for our nation, his message is both clear-eyed and uplifting.
I hope that you will join me next month in Memorial Church to acknowledge the many bridges Darren Walker has built throughout his extraordinary career. He has nobly advanced the causes of justice and equality through philanthropy, and I look forward to welcoming him back to our campus.
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber
