KINGSTON, R.I. – Jan. 25, 2019 – Omekongo Dibinga, noted speaker, poet, talk show host, rapper and diversity educator, will be the keynote speaker for the University of Rhode Island’s Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Luncheon Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The luncheon will start at noon at the Multicultural Student Services Center, Hardge Forum, 74 Lower College Road, on the Kingston Campus.

Dibinga, a professor of cross-cultural communication at the American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C. and founder of UPstander International, an organization that works to build leadership skills and empower individuals and organizations to confront injustice, will speak about nonviolence and peaceful movements.

Dibinga’s writings and performances have appeared in O Magazine, as well as on TV and radio, from CNN, BET and the BBC, to NPR, Music Choice and Voice of America, in millions of homes in more than 150 countries. He has written songs for major motion pictures as well as organizations such as NASA and the Enough! Project. He has spoken before the United Nations, partnered with the U.S. Department of State to conduct youth leadership trainings overseas, and spoken to leadership and youth student conferences across the country. Dibinga’s music and writings have appeared alongside artists such as Sheryl Crow, Angelina Jolie, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Angelique Kidjo, Don Cheadle and Mos Def. He has shared the stage with Wyclef Jean, OutKast, Sonia Sanchez, Dennis Brutus, Emmanuelle Chriqui, The Last Poets and NFL great Aaron Rodgers. Internationally, he has shared his work in more than 20 countries on 3 continents.

The Unity Luncheon is a communal sharing of food, song, and reflection in celebration of the legacy of ideas espoused by King, and the application of his legacy at the University of Rhode Island. It is presented by the Multicultural Student Services Center, the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies and the University of Rhode Island Chaplains Association.

Due to space limitations, the luncheon is open to URI students, faculty and staff. A meet and greet will also be held starting at 11 a.m. in the Roosevelt Hall Great Room, 90 Lower College Road.

For more information, please contact George Gallien, director of the Multicultural Student Services Center at URI, at 401-874-5829 or george_gallien@uri.edu.