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Event finished. This event was in the past: 7:00pm on Tuesday, January 14, 2025
In honor of MLK Week, join us for a compelling conversation with Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King, moderated by Laura Coates, CNN senior legal analyst and host of “Laura Coates Live.”
The evening will center around the Kings’ newest work, "What Is My Legacy," an inspiring exploration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles of equality, justice, and hope, and how they resonate in today’s world.
Legacy Architects and co-authors Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger join the conversation as the panel explores how all of us live our legacy everyday, through actions big and small.
This event is made possible in part by the generous support of the DC Public Library Foundation.
To heal a world in crisis, we must rethink “legacy”- and commit to something bigger than ourselves
From the time he was born, Martin Luther King III has carried the weight of his father’s legacy-and his dream of a Beloved Community built on justice, love and equal rights for all. Today in a world burdened by histories of violence, oppression, racism, poverty, fear and disconnectedness, that dream seems more remote than ever.
In answer to these challenges, Martin has teamed up with his wife and fellow activist Arndrea Waters King and legacy architects Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger to find a new way forward. Drawing on breakthroughs in neuroscience, psychology, epigenetics and their own lived experiences, they have created a groundbreaking new framework called Living Legacy.
It’s based on the simple but profound recognition that our small day-to-day actions create legacies that have the power to transform, uplift and unite us all. It’s time to reevaluate, recognize, and reclaim those legacies. Living Legacy invites us to live our best lives and live larger than ourselves - and in doing so, discover the most sought after yet elusive state of being fulfilled.
In conjunction with the Realize the Dream Campaign, What is My Legacy? Kicks off an essential conversation on how to best refocus our individual stories to achieve collective change Featuring never-been-told stories from the King family and contributions from celebrity and though leaders-including His Holiness the Dali Lama, Jay Shetty, Julia Roberts, Yara Shahidi, Reverend Al Sharpton and Dr. Sanjay Gupta - it’s an extraordinary road map for finding genuine connection, bringing us closer to Dr. King’s dream of a Beloved Community.
From four visionary leaders who have dedicated their lives to making a difference. Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, Marc Kielbirger and Craig Kielburger comes a reimagined framework for legacy, one that builds connection, love and fulfillment by living your legacy every day.
Martin Luther King Jr. III
Civil rights advocate and global humanitarian Martin Luther King III is shepherding the healing of our nation and the world, connecting the important lessons of the past with the critical needs of our future and motivating a new generation of authentic leaders.
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III is a thought leader on the world stage, a peace maker, and a negotiator on some of today’s most critical national and international platforms for social change. Amplifying the work of his father, Mr. King has devoted his life to promoting global human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty — referred to by his father as the “triple evils” and the “scourges of humankind” — on every continent except Antarctica.
“I go to schools and ask kids what they are worried about, and too often, they say they are worried that someone will come into their school and shoot them,” Mr. King says. “We must focus on eradicating violence — not teaching our children to cope with it.”
Having been arrested in peaceful protests more than a dozen times, Mr. King’s actions demonstrate his commitment to serving as an ambassador of social change. “Society has embraced a culture of violence,” he says, “but today’s real leaders must think about how to create a culture of non-violence because our culture cannot sustain itself if we continue to operate this way.” An experienced and respected international statesman who has consulted with numerous heads of state and governments, his dedication to implementing strategic, nonviolent solutions to stop the rise of social, political, and economic injustice has built his reputation as one of the world’s most passionate advocates for the poor and oppressed.
With the past year’s astounding display of social injustice and violence, perhaps at no other time in recent history has our world needed the clear thinking and solutions-oriented voice of Mr. King. In August 2020, on the anniversary of his father’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and in response to the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, Mr. King addressed thousands from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March On Washington, urging the people who had traveled from across the country to continue Martin Luther King Jr.’s pursuit of racial equality.
In August 2021, the 58th anniversary of that same speech, Martin, his wife, Arndrea Waters King, and their daughter, Yolanda Renee King, were the face of a national movement to demand federal action on voting rights legislation - leading marches all across the country, including Washington, DC. In January 2022, building on the powerful slate of grassroots partners, Martin and Arndrea took to the streets of Washington, once again, to call on Congress to act to protect the sacred right to vote, joining with nearly 100 partner organizations and members of the faith-based community.
In his trademark logical approach to problem-solving, Mr. King raises the public discourse on social issues and challenges us all to do better. “If we can live a day in peace, why can’t we live a week in peace? If we can live a week in peace, why can’t we live a month? If we can live a month, why not a year? And if we can achieve a year, why not a lifetime?”
Most recently, Martin and Arndrea have taken over leadership of the Drum Major Institute, a nonprofit organization started over 60 years ago. The Drum Major Institute has built a reputation advancing the core mission and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With a focus on continuing the King legacy through education, action, engagement with world leaders, and collaboration with socially conscious organizations, the work of the Drum Major Institute is as important today as it was then, inspiring each individual to embrace their unique contribution to peace, justice, and equity for all through common-sense solutions to our most pressing problems.
After successfully re-launching the Drum Major Institute, Martin and Arndrea set out to empower Black and Brown organizers to mobilize ahead of the 2024 election. With 40 organizations now funded in the initial round of grants, the Drum Major Coalition has set an ambitious goal of raising and investing $100 million in mobilization efforts ahead as the 2024 election approaches.
Arndrea Waters King
Arndrea Waters King has dedicated herself to public service as a passionate leader in the global fight against inequity, injustice, hate crimes, and all forms of pain. Throughout her life, Arndrea has consistently worked on behalf of those who have been marginalized by helping them find — and collectively use — their voices for change.
Arndrea is a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta. Soon after graduation she joined the Center for Democratic Renewal, an organization founded and headed by Dr. C.T. Vivian, a lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During her tenure, Arndrea organized the first National Conference on Hate Crimes and Hate Violence with over 100 national partners.
She played a key role in mobilizing the Georgia Hate Crimes Act and prepared major reports and publications, including the landmark “When Hate Comes to Town: Faith Based Edition.” Arndrea also helped organize marches and rallies that led to the building of a major multiracial collaboration known as the Southern Coalition Against Racism and Bigotry.
In 2006, Arndrea married Martin Luther King III. Together, they have championed several nonviolence and social change initiatives, designing programs to advance understanding and activism. Arndrea is a strong supporter of youth activism and believes in helping young people take a peaceful, effective stand for the world issues that concern them most.
Arndrea was instrumental in the partnership with JP Morgan Chase to restore, preserve, and digitize the archives of the King Center. Her support for the Atlanta community includes serving as a board member on the Historic District Development Committee and the Atlanta International School.
Currently, as president of the Drum Major Institute (DMI), Arndrea plays a critical role in creating strategic partnerships and managing the daily operations of this active social justice organization. A nonprofit founded over 60 years ago, the Drum Major Institute has provided Arndrea a platform from which to contribute to the Kingian legacy and encourage individuals to embrace their unique contribution to peace, justice, and equity for all.
As the leader of DMI, Arndrea has spearheaded the effort to organize tens of thousands of activists and more than 100 partner organizations to March on Washington in support of federal voting rights legislation. Her efforts garnered national attention and activated an untapped grassroots powerhouse that is using their collective voice to demand action in Washington in the wake of disastrous laws passed by states that restrict voting rights.
Expanding on the King Family legacy, Arndrea and her husband Martin have recently taken on the key role in fundraising for Black and Brown organizers across the country via their celebrity co-founded, small-dollar campaign Give Us The Ballot and their network of influential allies, the Drum Major Coalition. In August, Arndrea and Martin announced that the Coalition was launch an aggressive investment in 40 national groups that promote freedom, justice and equality. Under her leadership, the organization plans to invest $100 million by 2024.
Laura Coates, Moderator
Laura Coates is CNN’s chief legal analyst and anchor of Laura Coates Live, airing weeknights at 11pmET. The show showcases the day’s most interesting stories with smart, provocative, and thoughtful analysis, while leveraging Coates’ significant experience as a prosecutor and relentless pursuit of the facts. At the intersection between law, politics and pop culture, the high energy show takes the news viewers have already heard and helps them to truly understand it.
Emmy nominated Coates joined CNN in 2016 and plays a central role in the network’s extensive legal programming, as well as having a prominent role in major news moments, including CNN’s coverage of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the January 6th hearings and the two impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump, hosting a special entitled White House in Crisis: The Impeachment Inquiry. She routinely covers high-profile criminal prosecutions, including the trial of Alex Murdaugh and former police officer Derek Chauvin.
Coates is also the host of the award-winning daily “The Laura Coates Show” on SiriusXM’s bipartisan P.O.T.U.S. channel where she interviews world leaders and politicians from both sides of the aisle and engages the audience with a lively discussion on the intersection of politics and the law.
Coates has authored two books, You Have the Right: A Constitutional Guide to Policing the Police and New York Times bestseller Just Pursuit: A Black Prosecutor’s Fight For Fairness.
A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Coates graduated from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and the University of Minnesota Law School, where she serves on the Board of Advisors, before beginning her legal career in private practice.
She practiced law in Minnesota and New York handling cases ranging from intellectual property litigation and First Amendment issues to defamation and media law. Called to public service, she transitioned from private practice to the United States Department of Justice, thriving as a federal prosecutor. She served as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice during the Bush and Obama administrations, specializing in the enforcement of voting rights throughout the country.
She also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, prosecuting a myriad of violent felony offenses including drug trafficking, armed offenses, domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.
She and her husband live in Washington, D.C. with their two young children. You can find her on social media at @thelauracoates.
The DC Public Library Foundation partners with the DC Public Library to enhance Washington, D.C.’s public libraries, bringing private philanthropy together with government support to ensure that our libraries deliver the highest quality of service to the District’s residents. With the help of many generous people, the Foundation provides educational programs for children and youth, workforce development training, cultural events, and collection enhancements for D.C.’s libraries.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | MLK Week | Author Talk |
