Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
Community Celebrating Diversity is announcing Dr. Mary Frances Berry, a nationally recognized author, scholar and advocate for civil rights, gender equality and social justice, will serve as the featured speaker for the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration.
The event will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., according to a press release.
The Scottsdale-based nonprofit has organized the event for more than 30 years, with a focus on youth engagement and community leadership, the release states.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Berry to Scottsdale as the keynote presenter for the 32nd annual MLK Jr. Celebration,” said Dr. Scott Menzel, board president of Community Celebrating Diversity and superintendent of Scottsdale Unified School District. “Our theme this year is Shaping Our Future with Courage and Compassion. Dr. Berry brings a wealth of lived experiences navigating key civil rights issues over the past four decades. Her insights are sure to inspire as she calls us to action to shape the future for the next generation.”
Dr. Berry has been a prominent voice in civil rights, gender equality and social justice for more than 40 years. She served as chairperson of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission under four presidential administrations and was the first woman of any race to lead a major research university as chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
She is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches courses on American law and social policy. Dr. Berry was a founder of the Free South Africa Movement, which helped raise global awareness of apartheid and contributed to its end. For her efforts, she received the Nelson Mandela Award from the South African government.
Dr. Berry also served as assistant secretary for education in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, advocating for equity in historically underserved systems. Her books explore topics ranging from constitutional racism to progressive activism. Her most recent title, History Teaches Us to Resist, examines successful social movements including those that ended the Vietnam War, advanced the Americans with Disabilities Act, and championed civil, women’s and LGBTQ rights.
A dynamic speaker, Dr. Berry encourages each generation to challenge injustice and take action. Her message is a call to stand up, speak out and never give up the fight.
