On Thursday, January 15, Linn Washington Jr., professor at Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication, will speak at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in “A Conversation with Linn Washington”, as part of their Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. event series. 

This public event will begin at 5 p.m. in the Medical Education and Research Building, Room 105, with introductions, and Washington will begin his talk around 5:30 p.m. The event will also be available on a livestream.

“I’ve been a journalist here in the city for 50 years plus, and during that time, I’ve done a lot of work around history in Philadelphia, so this is exciting for me to be able to present some of the little-known histories of Philadelphia within the context of Dr. King,” Washington said. 

This event is part of a five-event series designed by the medical school to connect its students with some of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings, and Washington’s talk will be the series’ keynote event.  

Ritu Kulkarni, a second-year medical student and the community service chair for the medical school’s student government, took part in organizing the series.  

“I’m really excited to see what I can learn from this event,” she said. “It’s important to be able to look at things through a different lens because—on top of becoming physicians who need to learn medical knowledge—we have to be advocates for people, especially in our communities.” 

Melanie Cosby, Associate Professor at Katz, selected Washington for the opportunity after looking for local connections to Dr. King’s work and discovering some of Washington’s articles, such as “Waiting for Justice in New Jersey”, “The Philly roots of MLK’s legacy” and “Remembering Charles Blockson: Memorial for ‘man who invigorated Black history.’” She connected with him and initiated the idea for him to speak to medical students. 

“I hope that through our efforts to shine a light on Dr. King's historic impact, we instill within our students a sense of urgency and a call to action that more fully reflects Dr. King’s life, his legacy, his service, his activism, his stance on many societal ills and the many sacrifices that he made in the quest for justice for all,” Cosby said. “The past is prologue, and, given the communities we have the privilege to serve and work alongside, we believe we have a responsibility to consider more fully, the incredible impact that Dr. King's work continues to have today.” 

Washington’s talk will provide some background and context on Dr. King’s time in the Philadelphia area. 

“Dr. King’s first protest was not in Montgomery, Alabama; it was in Maple Shade, New Jersey in June of 1950,” Washington shared. “After that demonstration, he attended a lecture in Center City, Philadelphia, in November of 1950, and that’s when he formally adopted Gandhian philosophies for social change. Being in the Philly area was really impactful to Dr. King, and his time in Philadelphia is one of the least examined aspects of his life.” 

Washington also hopes to address some of the ties between medical-related histories of Philadelphia and its African American citizens, particularly regarding some of the misconceptions about African American medical experiences in Philadelphia during medical crises like yellow fever and influenza. 

“I hope the students take away that inequities in the delivery of healthcare remain, and that is something that needs to be addressed,” he said. “Do your job without fear or favor because we all need healthcare, irrespective of our skin color.” 

On Monday, January 19, Klein College is proud to host its eighth annual reading of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is an opportunity for the community to come together, reflect on Dr. King's teachings and inspire one another toward a future of equality and understanding. Learn more.