Northeastern Illinois University alumna and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis will deliver the keynote speech during the University’s annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tribute on Thursday, Jan. 21.
Lewis, who earned her master’s degree in Inner City Studies from Northeastern in 1993, will speak on the topic of social justice.
“Karen Lewis is one of the Chicago community’s most respected leaders and one of our most accomplished alumni,” said Meagan Mitchell, director of Northeastern’s African, African American Resource Center, which is organizing the event. “We are thrilled that she will return to Northeastern to share her insight and wisdom acquired over a lifetime of academic, professional and personal challenges and successes.”
The event, which is free and open to the public, will run from 2:30-4 p.m. in the Auditorium on Northeastern’s Main Campus, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago. Student performances and a Q&A session also will be part of the interactive program.
Lewis was elected president of the 30,000-member Chicago Teachers Union in 2010 after spending 22 years teaching high school chemistry in the Chicago Public Schools. She also serves as executive vice president to the Illinois Federation of Teachers and as vice president of the American Federation of Teachers.
Karen Lewis
