The Rev. Dr. William Barber II, brilliant orator and prominent figure in the current fight for civil rights and economic justice, is widely regarded as the leading heir to Dr. Martin Luther King’s church-based activism in the present generation. In 2016, he delivered an electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention. In 2018, he received the MacArthur “Genius” Award for his success in “building broad-based fusion coalitions as part of a moral movement to confront racial and economic inequality.” Barber achieved national attention as architect of the Forward Together Moral Movement, which organized regular “Moral Monday” protests at the North Carolina state capitol beginning in 2013. His 2016 “Moral Day of Action” calling for nationwide protests constituted the largest coordinated action on state capitals in U.S. history. He is the Founder and President of the national, progressive, faith-based group, Repairers of the Breach, and Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival. He continues to serve as Pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Barber is also the author of three acclaimed books, Revive Us Again (2018), The Third Reconstruction (2016), and Forward Together (2014). Note: There will be a free reception in the Campus Center from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. before the program begins.