

Dr. Robert L. Hill(Guest Speaker), Dr. Cecelia Robinson, GKCBHSG Vice President, and Mr. Larry Lester, GKCBHSG President
The Greater Kansas City Black History Study Group was a co-sponsor, along with our institutional members, the Clay County African American Legacy, Inc. and William Jewell College, and others, of the 41st Annual Northland Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration on Monday, January 20, 2025. The program, held at the Liberty High School Performing Arts Center, featured guest speaker, Dr. Robert L. Hill, who was introduced by GKCBHSG President, Larry Lester. Dr. Hill, a Minister Emeritus, and widely regarded lecturer, author, community leader, and activist, addressed the program theme, “A Dream Deferred: Where Do We Go from Here?” Dr. Hill’s dynamic presentation spoke not only about the legacy of Dr. King, but other seminal figures of the time such as Charles Hamilton Houston, Dean of the Howard University Law School and chief counsel to the NAACP, who initiated several precedent-setting cases that led to Brown v. BOE. Houston, helped to educate and inspire a generation of Black jurists to fight against segregation, including the future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. His message inspired all to consider how to move forward at this time in our history.
Awards were presented to several individuals for their inspiring community service and activism, highlighted by the Invictus Social Justice Award to Dr. Marjorie Williams, educator, and community leader. Youth were well represented in the program, with presentations from choral ensembles and student poet, Jordan Naseem. Several hundred attendees withstood frigid temperatures to support this outstanding program.