Human rights activist Loretta J. Ross, founder and executive director of the Atlanta-based Center for Human Rights Education, will be the keynote speaker on Jan. 15 at a DePaul University prayer breakfast and a luncheon to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. in the Cortelyou Commons, 2345 N. Sheffield Ave. Ross will discuss how King was beginning to shift his focus from civil rights to human rights just before his death in 1968. She also will discuss what King would think of America’s human rights condition today.

The luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd. During the luncheon address, Ross will focus on the legal strategies for ensuring human rights in the United States.

Both events are free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Call 773/325-7759 for breakfast reservations and 312/773-8450 for reservations to the luncheon.

Note to editors: Reporters wishing to cover either speech by Loretta Ross should contact Valerie Phillips in Media Relations at 312/362-5039 or 312/330-3155.