DePaul University will honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. with a number of events that commemorate his fight for civil rights and social justice.

DePaul’s tribute to King will kick off with the Center for Intercultural Programs’ prayer breakfast on Jan. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120. Radio personality and social activist Warren Ballentine will be the featured presenter. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Ballentine is an attorney, and his syndicated program, “The Warren Ballentine Show,” is carried on a number of radio stations across the country. He also is a motivational speaker for children and is heavily involved in community renewal. Ballentine will discuss “Love in Action in the Post-Civil Rights Era,” and honor those who have struggled to end oppression and secure equal rights for all. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To sign up, please visit http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/cip.

The College of Law will present the 13th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Reflection and Commemoration on Jan. 16. This year’s theme is “Food Deserts and the Politics of Food Insecurity: Structures and Sustainability,” with a keynote address by LaVonna Blair Lewis of the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy. A panel discussion will follow, as well as the announcement of winners of a law student essay contest. The commemoration will take place at the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8005, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. To attend, respond by noon on Jan. 13 to npinkey@depaul.edu.

The DePaul University Black Leadership Coalition and Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, together with the Office of Mission and Values, will sponsor a discussion of King’s spiritual and social life featuring Lewis V. Baldwin, noted King scholar and professor of religious studies at Vanderbilt University. A Q&A and reception will follow Baldwin’s address. The event is Jan. 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Cortelyou Commons, 2324 N. Fremont St., on the Lincoln Park Campus. For more information about this free, public program or to sign up, please contact Alice Farrell at afarrell@depaul.edu.

Elizabeth Ortiz, vice president for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, says DePaul’s King Day celebrations are important and appropriate because King and DePaul share many of the same values. “Martin Luther King Jr. is a civil rights icon and an American hero,” said Ortiz. “He embodied so many of the principles we stand for as a Vincentian university. We are also grateful that our university community comes together every year to plan events that discuss current civil rights and social justice issues. It is in this way that we continue to honor the legacy of Dr. King.”