Walker urges justice, equity in Winston-Salem at MLK Breakfast

Over the years, some big names have delivered keynote addresses at The Chronicle’s Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast – Dr. Maya Angelou, Judge James A. Beaty, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, and N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green, to name a few. However, few speakers have been as thought-provoking and informative as Corey D.B. Walker, who delivered this year’s keynote address. A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Walker is the dean of Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity, a professor of humanities, and the inaugural director of the university’s African American Studies program. Before taking the stage, Walker expressed gratitude for the honor of speaking at home. “It’s always an honor to be able to speak at home, and it’s always an honor when your community recognizes you,” Walker said. “To be able to share with those closest to you, who have been with you and continue to support you in countless ways, is probably one of the deepest honors of my life.” To begin his address, Walker quoted German philosopher Walter Benjamin: “The tradition of the oppressed teaches us that the state of emergency in which we live is not the exception but the rule.” Walker said the quote...