Calling on lessons from her childhood in an Arizona “roach motel” and her success as a groundbreaking actor, writer, entrepreneur and activist, Erika Alexander had simple advice for the crowd at this year’s MLK Peace Breakfast: “Haul ass.”
Alexander was the keynote speaker at the event Friday honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a Metropolitan State University of Denver tradition for more than three decades. In conversation with Michael Benitez, Ph.D., MSU Denver vice president for Diversity and Inclusion, Alexander said, “You are already doing the work (so just move fast). Be courageous. Be brave.”
Keynote speaker Erika Alexander chats with Michael Benitez, Ph.D., MSU Denver vice president for Diversity and Inclusion. Photo by Alyson McClaran
MSU Denver student Cy Holt speaks during the event. Photo by Alyson McClaran
The crowd packed Mile High Station since the event has outgrown its original home at the Tivoli. Photo by Alyson McClaran
Daryl Walker plays the keys and sings at the event. Photo by Alyson McClaran
MLK Peace Awardee Jermaine Gunnells, center, with Michael Benitez, Ph.D., left and student Cy Holt. Photo by Alyson McClaran
MLK Peace Awardee K Scherrer, Ph.D. center, with Michael Benitez, Ph.D., left and student Cy Holt. Photo by Alyson McClaran
MLK Peace Awardee Ryan Ross, Ph.D., center, with Michael Benitez, Ph.D., left, and student Cy Holt. Photo by Alyson McClaran
Students and staff from the Center for Multicultural Engagement & Inclusion office pose for a photo after the event. Photo by Alyson McClaran
The crowd that packed Mile High Station — the event has outgrown its original home at the Tivoli — heard how the star of “Living Single,” “Get Out” and “American Fiction” and co-founder of Color Farm Media started life as the daughter of an itinerant preacher and a hardworking mother who valued education and good manners.
She recalled an entertainment executive rejecting a project she and a partner had proposed because it was science fiction. “He told us, ‘Black people don’t like science fiction because they don’t see themselves in the future,’” she said.
Alexander encouraged the audience to envision their future. “The past is painful,” she said. “The present is precarious. The future is free.”
The event also celebrates leaders who embody the principles championed by King. This year’s honorees were:
Jermaine Gunnells. The interim associate director of Equity and Racial Justice Programs at MSU Denver also is assistant director of the University’s Brother to Brother Program, which supports male students of color. He has organized and supported initiatives to mentor, empower and support young Black men.
K. Scherrer, Ph.D. A professor in the Department of Social Work and Faculty Fellow in MSU Denver’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Scherrer is recognized for research in gender, LGBTQ+ identities, social inequality and intergenerational issues. Their career is focused on promoting understanding and fostering inclusive spaces.
Ryan Ross, Ph.D. As president and CEO of the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado, Ross cultivates diverse leaders for boards, commissions and executive roles. A longtime educator now with the American Petroleum Institute, he focuses on creating workforce opportunities for underrepresented groups.
