PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / January 14, 2026 / Carol Anderson, one of the nation's leading scholars on race and democracy, will deliver the Lewis & Clark Law School's Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Lecture, on January 19, 2026, focusing on "The Strangling of American Democracy" and the forces reshaping democratic participation in the United States.

Anderson, the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of African American Studies at Emory University and bestselling author of "White Rage," "One Person, No Vote" and "The Second," will explore the historical and modern forces shaping racial inequality and democratic participation in the US. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture, which is free and open to the public.

"Portland occupies a critical place in the national racial conversation," Anderson said. "It is a city with a strong civic identity and a proven willingness to examine its, and the state of Oregon's, complex history. If we're going to make progress happen, it's going to be in those communities willing to engage honestly, locally and persistently. Portland is well-positioned to move the dialogue forward in meaningful ways."

The Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Lecture Series was established in 2010 to honor Dr. King's legacy by bringing nationally recognized scholars, jurists and civil rights leaders to Lewis & Clark Law School to address issues of race, democracy and equal justice. Over the past 15 years, the series has hosted prominent voices from across the legal, academic and civil rights communities, creating a long-running forum for public dialogue around some of the country's most pressing social questions.

"At a time when democratic norms and racial equity are under real strain, spaces for rigorous thought and honest public dialogue are more important than ever," said Jacqueline Alexander, a Lewis & Clark Law School alumna who established and endowed the speaker series. "The goal of this lecture has always been to confront the realities of our present moment. At a time when democratic norms and racial equity are under strain, we need to encourage rigorous thought, moral clarity, and community dialogue. Bringing voices like Carol Anderson's to Portland helps ensure those conversations are not only happening-but happening here."

The event takes place on Monday, January 19 at 4:00 p.m., at the Agnes Flanagan Chapel, Lewis & Clark College. Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP here.

About the Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Lecture Series

Each year Lewis & Clark Law School hosts an endowed lecture honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made possible by a generous grant from Jacqueline Alexander and Lee Matthews. The mission is to bring internationally recognized legal scholars, practitioners, jurists and civil rights leaders to Lewis & Clark to present a lecture to the law school and broader community on issues of diversity, race relations, tolerance and equal rights. Since its inception in 2010 the MLK Jr Lecture Series has featured some of the leading thinkers and doers in the modern American Civil Rights movement, including: Ben Crump; Jared Bartie and Ben Lauritsen; Michelle J DePasse; Justice Adrienne Nelson; The Honorable Arthur L Burnett Sr; Marcilynn Burke; Lewis A. Steverson; Bill Lann Lee; Sheryll Cashin; Dean Kurt L Schmoke; William T Coleman Jr.; and Randall Kennedy.

Contact

Jacqueline Alexander
jacqueline@knowyourfruit.com

SOURCE: Carol Anderson