Home Professional Development King Talks 2026 King Talks Speakers 2026 King Talks Speakers On January 29, 2026 in the Assembly Hall at Rackham Graduate School, Rackham graduate students took the stage and told stories that wove together their lived experience, scholarly work, and reflections on this year’s MLK Symposium theme, “Unbowed and Unbroken: The Enduring Struggle for Justice.” Anjali Arora Degree: Masters Major/Areas of Study: Data Science Where You Grew Up: UP, India An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I am a former long jump athlete and I was chosen as Best Cadet under the National Service Scheme two times in a row. Rooted in Calm, Rising in Courage: Meditation as the Inner Revolution This talk weaves a deeply personal story of resilience with the transformative power of meditation. Through lived experiences of injustice, misjudgment, and leadership, it shows how inner calm becomes the foundation for courage helping me remain unbowed and unbroken in the face of life’s challenges. Watch Anjali's King Talk Eda Bozkurt Degree: Ph.D. Major/Areas of Study: Architecture (History/Theory + Design Studies) Where You Grew Up: Ankara, Turkey An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I am a competitive ballroom dancer. The Ethics of Seeing: Making Knowledge Public This talk begins with a moment in my fieldwork that changed how I see my role as a researcher: a resident of a demolished neighborhood asked me to “write this down so people don’t forget us.” That request led me to question what justice means in research and whether our work can truly matter if it stays confined within universities. Through stories from my hometown of Ankara, Turkey and my own process of unlearning, I share how seeing differently, and making knowledge public, can itself become an act of justice. Watch Eda's King Talk Nyimasata Damba Danjo Degree: MPH, Ph.D. Major/Areas of Study: Health Management and Policy; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. Where You Grew Up: Manneh Kunda, Basse, The Gambia. An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I was an award winning child speaker, leader and writer. My Unplanned Journey, Battle and Presence: My Sickle Cell Story My talk begins with that calm early morning ride to my child’s first PCP visit with expectations surrounding his weight and growth chart, only to be informed of his sickle cell diagnosis from his newborn screening. This was a fresh moment of confusion and loss for a first time mom who had watched and listened to her baby’s sonograms with excitement and relief all through the 9 months of pregnancy. Here now, I discuss what became of a single mom through an unplanned outcome, through fear, and through unplanned resilience to stay unbroken, and unbowed in her child’s sickle cell journey. Watch Nyimasata's King Talk Cole J. Dorman Degree: Ph.D. Major/Areas of Study: Space Science Where You Grew Up: Bettendorf, Iowa An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I’ve been to the arctic three times Science Shouldn’t Need to be Profitable When AT&T rejected the early internet as unprofitable in 1971, federal agencies refused to give up on its development. My talk is the story of the internet’s creation and how judging research by corporate metrics threatens the model of innovation that made it all possible. Watch Cole's King Talk Zimo Shu Degree: M.S. Major/Areas of Study: Applied Statistics Where You Grew Up: Chengdu, China An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I love music and dancing. Too Much, Still Unbroken My talk explores high sensitivity as a personality trait characterized by heightened emotional, social, and environmental perception. Drawing on personal experience and cross-cultural contexts, it reframes high sensitivity not as a weakness, but as a form of power that can support empathy and adaptability. Ultimately, my talk argues that embracing one’s nature allows individuals to remain open, resilient, and unbroken. Watch Zimo's King Talk Kehinde Sowunmi Degree: Ph.D. Major/Areas of Study: Germanic Languages and Literatures Where You Grew Up: Lagos, Nigeria An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I am a twin and my full name is Òmókèhìndẹgbègbόn. Dürfen Schwarze Blumen Malen? The focus of my talk is on how Afro-German/Black German writers and Black scholars like myself assert creative agency within structures that have historically constrained creative expression. Focusing on Sharon Dodua Otoo’s metaphor of “painting one’s own flowers” and May Ayim’s formal and linguistic interventions, I establish that choosing joy, ambiguity, and softness is not a departure from resistance but a redefinition of it. Drawing from my experience in German Studies, I consider how Black creators challenge imposed frames of identity, authorship, and legitimacy and what it means to remain truly unbowed and unbroken while creating freely in spaces not built for us. Watch Kehinde's King Talk Aaminah Tabassum Degree: MPP Major/Areas of Study: International Economic Development Where You Grew Up: Metro Detroit, Michigan An Interesting Fact About Yourself: I love archery. Midwives: The Forgotten First Responders My talk highlights the overlooked role of midwives as first responders for women in conflict and disaster zones. Drawing on my experience at the nonprofit organization Direct Relief, where I researched medical aid issues in areas like Syria, Yemen, Gaza, and Afghanistan, this talk shows how midwives embody resilience and justice by delivering life and dignity amid devastation. It ultimately calls for greater recognition of midwives as essential actors in humanitarian response and conflict recovery. Watch Aaminah's King Talk
