Q&A with Wayne State MLK Tribute Keynote Speaker Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III

On Jan. 17, Wayne State University will hold its 25thannual tribute to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the at the Hilberry Gateway. With a theme focused on the 60thanniversary of King’s historic 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery protest marches for voting rights, the WSU celebration, “Sixty Years After Selma and We’re Still Marching,” will feature a keynote address by Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas. (The event will be streamed on Jan. 20, the official MLK holiday, at wayne.edu/live.) Rev. Haynes, an educator and social activist who was awarded the 2022 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award in Community Service by President Joe Biden, sat down days ahead of the university tribute to share thoughts on King’s legacy, the critical importance of college education, and the role that WSU and other educational institutions play in advancing social mobility, equity and enlightenment. You’ve got a King Day address upcoming at Wayne State. As you prepare for your speech, can you talk about why you think it’s important that we continue to observe and honor the life and legacy of Dr. King? REV. FREDERICK DOUGLASS HAYNES III: First, I’m looking forward to sharing. I always have a great...