On Jan. 20, the Center for Africana Studies presents the 14th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture in Social Justice. It will feature actress and activist Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah, with whom Dawson co-founded the social enterprise Studio One Eighty Nine, as well as Tiffany Persons, founder of Shine On Sierra Leone. Camille Charles, a professor of sociology and director of the Center for Africana Studies, will join them in conversation. The event will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.

WHO:             Rosario Dawson, actress, activist and humanitarian, co founder of Studio One-Eighty Nine

                        Tiffany Persons, founder of Shine On Sierra Leone

                        Abrima Erwiah, co founder of Studio One-Eighty Nine                 

                        Camille Charles, sociology professor and Center for Africana Studies director, moderator

WHAT:           14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture in Social Justice    

WHEN:           5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20

WHERE:         Zellerbach Theater, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St.

The event is part of the University of Pennsylvania's 20th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium for Social Change. It is free and open to the public.

Dawson, Persons and Eriwah will discuss their social justice work and take audience questions in a panel discussion moderated by Charles. Dawson is an award winning actress who in 2004 founded Voto Latino, a nonprofit organization that empowers Latino millennials. She co-founded Studio One Eighty Nine with Persons and Eriwah.

Studio One Eighty Nine is a social enterprise that promotes and curates African and African-inspired content through an e-commerce shopping site, a supporting agency and an artisan-produced fashion collection. Persons is also founder of the nonprofit Shine On Sierra Leone, and Erwiah is a global marketing and communications executive in the fashion and luxury goods industry. 

The MLK Lecture in Social Justice is sponsored by Penn’s Center for Africana Studies, Office of the President and Annenberg School for Communication.