On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, College of San Mateo welcomed Dr. Lerone Martin, the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute Director at Stanford University, for a keynote speech. The lecture was held as part of a series of events that celebrate Black History Month on CSM’s campus.

Dr. Martin addressed a packed theatre of about 400 attendees providing an inspiring presentation on the vital importance of historical research and awareness. He mesmerized the audience in a way that lifted them through reflection. He also shared compelling anecdotes about Martin Luther King Jr.’s boyhood and started to deconstruct the mainstream appropriation of his legacy.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer session that transitioned into one-on-one student engagement as the audience departed.