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The 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at Indiana University Northwest will feature both the originally announced keynote speaker, BET host and producer Jeff Johnson, and special guest speaker, media mogul Hezekiah Griggs III, starting at 6 p.m. in Savannah Auditorium.
Griggs had been announced earlier today as a replacement for Johnson, who will be traveling to Haiti for BET to report on the recovery efforts there following Tuesday's devastating earthquake. But a change in travel schedule will allow Johnson to deliver his keynote presentation, after all.
The doors to Savannah Auditorium open at 5:15 p.m. Following some introductory remarks, Johnson will speak. Several dance, musical and spoken-word performances will follow, after which Griggs will speak. There will be a reception following the program, which is scheduled to end at approximately 8 p.m.
Black Entertainment Television host and producer Jeff Johnson is an internationally recognized journalist and social activist. Johnson is managing editor and chief correspondent for "The Truth With Jeff Johnson," a BET talk show that has earned Johnson the reputation as the network's "conscience voice" for his positive work affecting youth and young adults.
The Washington D.C.-based Johnson has earned accolades both for his work covering politics and for his engagement of American youth through popular culture. He was the only American reporter to receive a post-election interview with Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first elected female head of state in Africa. He was one of only two news correspondents to interview Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who had not granted interviews to American media outlets for 13 years.
Johnson has also worked as a senior advisor for the Media and Youth Outreach for People for the American Way, National Director for the Youth & College Division of the NAACP, and as Vice President of the Hip-Hop Action Summit.
Hezekiah Griggs III is a self-made corporate leader who rose from poverty and homelessness to become "America's Youngest Media Mogul."
Griggs’s story is not unlike that of many young people in America today. Raised in the hardened inner cities of Northern New Jersey, this young man rose above his circumstances to become a multimillionaire at age 21.
Griggs founded HG3 Media in 2003 and since then has grown the business into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, managing 20 different corporate operations and 45 collective media properties. Griggs also serves as a consultative marketing strategist, leveraging his experience and success in youth marketing to help other organizations strategically manage their image and brand.
Griggs serves as Chairman of The Hezekiah Griggs III (HG3) Foundation, which provides valuable assistance to community youth programs throughout the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state area, as well as international programs that provide the tools and resources needed for young people to survive in the 21st century. He is also an active member of several other regional and national nonprofit organizations, including Choice International and the Visionary Leaders Foundation.
Griggs's business and philanthropic initiatives have been recognized by public figures including former President Bill Clinton and U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), as well as the Northern New Jersey Media Group. Hezekiah Griggs III is an authentic voice and inspiring role model for this generation.
IU Northwest extends a special thanks to Mr. Jeff Johnson and to Mr. Hezekiah Griggs III for taking part in this year's event on such short notice. All students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the Northwest Indiana community, are encouraged to participate in this informative and uplifting event.
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