Syracuse University has named J.R. Martinez as the keynote speaker for the 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

The celebration will take place in the Carrier Dome on Jan. 29, 2017. The event is the largest of it’s kind — a university sponsored celebration in the United States in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, according to an SU news release.

Martinez is a U.S. Army veteran, best-selling author, actor and motivational speaker.

“It’s an honor to be named as the keynote speaker for this event,” Martinez said in the release. “… Primarily because of the man who we gather to honor, but also, because of the large number of people from all walks of life who will be there to honor Dr. King.”

Martinez joined the Army after high school and in 2003 he was deployed to Iraq. A month into his tour he and three other soldiers were burned in a roadside explosion. While he was in recovery a nurse asked him to speak to a burn patient who had become withdrawn after seeing his own body for the first time. Seeing how positively he had impacted the patient was a life changing moment for Martinez, according to the release.

After this turning point Martinez went on to become a motivational speaker and travel the world to spread the message of resilience and optimism.

“To have a motivational voice and Army veteran serve as our main speaker, the honor is truly ours. J.R.’s story is one that should serve as an inspiration to us all,” said Ajajielle Brown, 2017 celebration chairwoman, in the release. “He helps to lift voices and spirits, and more to the point, shows that what’s inside a person is what counts.”

Doors for the MLK Celebration on Jan. 29 will open at 4 p.m. and dinner will be held at 4:30 p.m. The evening program, which begins at 5:30 p.m, includes Martinez’s keynote address, the presentation of the 2017 Unsung Hero Awards, music by a community choir and student performances, according to the release.

Tickets go on sale at the Schine Box Office on Nov. 1. Tickets for students without meal plans, employees, staff and the general public are sold individually for $30 or in block of 10 for $300. Student tickets can be purchased for $15 through a meal plan at SU dining halls, according to the release.

The MLK Celebration will be preceded by a weekend filled with activities and community-wide involvement organized by the city of Syracuse. A community event will be held on Jan. 28, 2017 at Nottingham High School which will include educational workshops, recreational activities and an awards ceremony for K-12 students, according to the release.

Published on September 27, 2016 at 12:41 am

Contact Stacy: sfern100@syr.edu | @StacyFernandezB