Dr. Martin Luther King and America's Self-Evident Truth
In Dr. King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, he referenced a passage of the Declaration of Independence, "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, ..." This presentation will examine the meaning of "self-evident truths" based on political and cultural hermeneutics, in 1776, in 1963, and in our post-modern America. Audience participation will be encouraged.
Parris J. Baker, PhD., MSSA, Associate Professor and Director, Social Work, Mortuary Science, and Gerontology Programs, Department of Criminal Justice & Social Work, Gannon University. He received his undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees in social work from Gannon University, Case Western Reserve University, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and the University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work, respectively. In 2011, Dr. Baker became the first African American tenured professor at Gannon University. He most recently became a Jefferson Education Society Scholar-In-Residence and Harry T. Burleigh and Beyond Fellow.
