Courtesy Mary Frances Berry 10438 UP A
Mary Frances Berry is Eastern Michigan University’s keynote speaker for Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20th, 2025. One of America’s most visible and respected activists in the cause of civil rights, gender equality, and social justice, Dr. Berry served as Chairperson of the US Civil Rights Commission, leading the charge for equal rights and liberties for all Americans over the course of four presidential administrations.
After earning her BA and MA from Howard University, Dr. Berry came to Michigan to add a PhD and JD from the U-M. I first encountered her in the upper reaches of historic Welch Hall in 1970, as an inspired instructor in my EMU civics class. Impressed by her speaking ability and commitment to education, I have followed her distinguished career ever since.
A trailblazer for women and African-Americans alike, Dr. Berry was the first woman of any race to head a major research university as Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches the history of American law and the history of law and social policy.
I look forward to hearing Dr. Berry again, more than half a century after that memorable class.