The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial LectureJanuary 18, 2016 at 10–11:30 a.m.

The annual MLK lecture emphasizes the continuing struggle for civil rights. This year, Dr. Rashad Shabazz will speak on "Why Geography Matters in the Struggle for Racial Justice. e Even though the law has technically removed geographic barriers for Blacks, racial bias continues to be found in urban planning, policing, and housing policy. Dr. Shabazz will share the historical perspective of the geographic racial divide and present possibilities for how our country can continue to work towards equality.

Dr. Rashad Shabazz is an associate professor in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Minnesota State University Mankato, a master's degree in the Department of Justice & Social Inquiry from Arizona State University, and a PhD in the History of Consciousness from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

He is the author of Spatializing Blackness: Architectures of Confinement and Black Masculinity in Chicago, which examines how carceral power within the geographies of Black Chicagoans shaped urban planning, housing policy, policing practices, gang formation, high incarceration rates, masculinity and health.

His academic expertise brings together human geography, Black cultural studies, gender studies, and critical prison studies. His research explores how race, sexuality, and gender are informed by geography.

Sponsored by the Chaplains Office, Diversity Center, Peace Studies Program, President's Office, and Target.

This event is free and open to the public.

Watch the live stream of the lecture.