Past Keynote Speakers
Explore the legacy of inspiration shared by our MLK Celebration keynote speakers over the years. This page highlights past keynote speakers who have brought powerful messages to the MLK Celebration Sacramento stage. From civil rights leaders to community advocates, each speaker has carried forward the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through words that motivate change, unity, and service. Learn more about the voices that have shaped this celebration and inspired Sacramento to act with compassion and courage.
2025 - Lisa McNair, is a civil rights activist and author whose sister, Denise, was one of the four girls killed in the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.
2024 - President Luke Wood, Sacramento State University; Chancellor Brian May, UC Davis; President Lisa Cardoza, American River College participated in a roundtable discussion moderated by Kandace Redd, ABC10.
2023 - Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester and Pastor Anthony Sadler, Shiloh Baptist Church, participated in a roundtable discussion moderated by Kandace Redd, ABC10
2022 - Crystel Patterson, Author, "Inspired to be..." children’s book series
2021 - The year of the Pandemic and worldwide events, including the MLK Celebration, were conducted online via Zoom. The MLK Committee invited a panel of three Sacramento leaders - Sacramento City Council Member Eric Guerra, Sacramento Urban League President Cassandra Jennings and Sacramento State President Robert S. Nelsen to participate in a discussion facilitated By Gulstan Dart, KCRA3 News Anchor.
2020 - Ruby Bridges, First African-American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana in 1960 and Civil Rights Icon.
2019 - Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., Founder & President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives
2018 - Lee Mun Wah, Internationally renowned Chinese American documentary filmmaker, author, poet, Asian folkteller, educator and master diversity trainer.
2017 - Rabbi Capers Funnye, Spiritual leader of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, located in Chicago, IL
2016 - Judy and Dennis Shepard, CoFounders, Matthew Shepard Foundation
2015 - Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., Founder & President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives
2014 - Clayborne Carson, Professor of History, Stanford University Director, Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute
2013 - Coach Ken Carter, San Francisco Bay-area high school basketball team from doormat to powerhouse and profiled in the movie "Coach Carter"
2012 - Coach Herman Boone, Legendary coach profiled in the movie classic "Remember the Titans"
2011 - Carlotta Walls LaNier, President, Little Rock Foundation
2010 - Chris Webber, Chris Webber, President of The Chris Webber Foundation, NBA All Star and Former Sacramento King – Realizing the Dream
2009 - Colonel Lee Archer, Jr., Tuskegee Airman, First African American “Flying Ace” – Dare to Dream-All Things Are Possible
2008 - Regina Louise, Author and Child Advocate – Human Rights: Equal Justice, Equal Opportunity, Equal Dignity
2007 - Morris Dees, co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center – Individuals Making a Difference
2006 - Judge Bobby DeLaughter, the Hinds County District Attorney who prosecuted white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith – Genuine Brotherhood & Peace
2005 - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, 40th Annual Voting Rights Act
2004 - Thurgood Marshall, Jr. – Brown v Board of Education
2003 - Congressman John Lewis, The Second Emancipation
2002 - Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Keep the Dream Alive
2000 & 2001 - Congressman Robert T. Matsui