Trinity University to Celebrate Legacy of
Martin Luther King, Jr.

SPEAKER UPDATE FOR MLK LECTURE TONIGHT! Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 7 pm in Laurie Auditorium

Thomas W. Dortch,Jr.

Because of illness, the speaker previously scheduled to deliver tonight's Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative lecture at Trinity University , Michael Eric Dyson, will be unable to attend.

We are excited to announce a new speaker, Thomas W. Dortch Jr., chairman of 100 Black Men of America and chief executive officer of  TWD Inc., an Atlanta-based consulting firm with emphasis on business development, public relations and fundraising. He also has worked for U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) in various roles for nearly 20 years.

Under his guidance, 100 Black Men of America has expanded to include 95 chapters throughout the United States , Africa , England and the West Indies .  Formed in 1986, the mission of the “100” is to improve the quality of life, and enhance the educational and economic opportunities for African-Americans.

He has been associate director of the Democratic Party of Georgia and assisted in the creation of the first charter for the state party and wrote the first Affirmative Action and Compliance Review Program for the party.

Among his business interests are serving as chairman and chief executive officer of South West Investment Group, a community development and investment group; as chief executive officer of Atlanta Transportation Systems, Inc., a paratransit system that manages non-emergency transportation for Fulton County Government; and as managing partner of FAD Consulting, LLC., a diversity management,  marketing, and events management company.

Mr. Dortch has established himself as a leader by diligently working to dismantle systemic barriers to empowerment and received numerous awards and honors. These include a Presidential Citation for Volunteerism, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, the Concerned Black Clergy's Salute to Black Fathers Leadership Award, the HistoryMakers Award, and the 2002 National Black Caucus of State Legislators Nation Builder's Award. He has been a guest  on C-SPAN, the Montel Williams Show, Talk Back Atlanta, CNN, Good Day Atlanta and Fox News Channel The O'Reilly Factor.  He was listed as one of the most influential black leaders in the 2002 May edition of Ebony Magazine and 2002 publication of The Atlanta Business Chronicle.

He recently authored “The Miracles of Mentoring:  The Joy of Investing in Our Future,” published by Doubleday Books.

He earned his B.A. in Sociology and Pre Professional Social Work from Fort Valley State University in 1972; a Masters of Art Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Clark-Atlanta University in 1986.  He also attended Georgia State University as a Ford Fellow in the Urban Administration Program.

Trinity has honored the memory of Dr. King, a slain civil rights leader, for decades and launched a speaker series in 1997. Students affiliated with the Trinity Multi-Cultural Network and members of the Black Student Union, as well as Trinity faculty and staff members, plan to join other residents of San Antonio in the annual MLK March through the community’s East Side on Jan. 19. In addition, a symposium exploring race relations from the dawn of the civil rights movement until the present will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Fiesta Room at the Trinity campus.  For more information, contact the office of public relations at (210) 999-8406.

On the night of the lecture at Trinity, a sign language interpreter will be available.  Other requests for special accommodations should be directed to Laurie Auditorium at (210) 999-8119 at least 48 hours before the event. 

For more information contact Susie P. Gonzalez at Susie.Gonzalez@trinity.edu or (210)999-8406