DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. KEYNOTE LECTURE
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Lecture is a major event each January open to the entire Villanova community and to the public.
For more than twenty years, Villanova has celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. King with a series of events and programs designed to highlight continuing injustices, while also celebrating those individuals and organizations that challenge and overcome them. Past keynote speakers include Sonia Sanchez, Chaka Fattah, Cornel West, Patricia Williams, Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Timothy Tyson, Phillip Atiba Goff, Crystal Lucky, Sonya Douglas Horsford, Anthea Butler, Bryan Stevenson, M.K. Asante, Ian Haney Lopez, and Jim Wallis.
"Now is the Time: Community over Chaos"
Dr. Terry Nance
Retired Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Villanova
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 | Villanova Room, Connelly Center
6:45 PM Villanova Gospel Choir
7 PM Address, then Reception
Dr. Teresa Nance recently retired as the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer and as a Professor of Communication. In this role, she lead the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Dr. Nance’s Villanova career spans more than four decades, during which time she has served as an administrator, teacher, scholar, activist and ‘support system’ for students, faculty, and staff at the University. In 2018, The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education recognized Dr. Nance with the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Distinguished Service Award – an honor given to individuals who have “contributed substantially to diversity and inclusive excellence in higher education.”
Dr. Nance was the first Black tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Communication at Villanova, where she established an African American rhetoric course and created the highly sought-after multicultural leadership course. As a researcher, Dr. Nance has investigated the perceptions and stages of interracial relationship development, diversity and inclusion, and intergroup dialogue. She was the founding Assistant Vice President for the Center for Multicultural Affairs. In 2015—to further elevate the University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion—Villanova created the Office of Diversity and Inclusion making Dr. Nance its founding director and naming her named Associate Vice Provost of Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer.
Terry Nance established the annual MLK celebration at Villanova. It is our immense pleasure to welcome her this year as keynote speaker.
2025 MLK Keynote Address
2024: Malcolm Kenyatta
2023: Jim Wallis
2022: Winona LaDuke
2021: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
2020: Valarie Kaur
2019: Ibram X. Kendi
2018: Diane Nash
2017: Ian Haney Lopez
2016: M.K. Asante
2015: Bryan Stevenson
2014: Anthea Butler
2013: Sonya Douglass Harsford
2012: Crystal Lucky