The Bunting Peace and Justice Speaker Series, made possible with a generous gift from Mary Catherine Bunting, hosts speakers and events that contribute to raising awareness about peace and justice issues.

"Protecting Public Knowledge Spaces"

Carla Hayden, Ph.D.
Monday, January 26, 2026
McGuire Hall
6:30 p.m. 

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Carla Hayden, Ph.D. will deliver the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation address at Loyola University Maryland.

A lifelong advocate for literacy and public service, Carla Hayden, Ph.D., champions the power of libraries as spaces for connection, opportunity, education, and transformation. She is the former Librarian of Congress, served as president of the American Library Association, and led the Enoch Pratt Free Library as CEO for more than two decades. Hayden made history in 2016 when she was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress—the first woman and first African American to lead the nation’s library. She reimagined the Library of Congress as a dynamic, inclusive institution that connects all Americans to knowledge, creativity, and history. Her leadership has focused on access, equity, and storytelling. Today, Hayden—who is a recipient of Loyola’s prestigious Andrew White Medal—is a senior fellow for the Mellon Foundation and continues to pursue scholarship, writing, and research.

The event will also be live-streamed on YouTube, with closed captioning provided.

This event is part of the Peace & Justice Bunting Speaker Series and is free and open to the public, although advance registration is encouraged.

Celebrating its 32nd year, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation is an opportunity for Loyola and the Baltimore community to come together and launch the spring semester and New Year with a shared inquiry into issues of social justice, politics, spirituality, and the legacies of race and racial justice in America.

The convocation is co-sponsored by the Office of the President, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Office of Peace & Justice, the Karson Institute for Race, Peace & Social Justice, Messina, and the African and African American Studies Program.

"A Conversation on Resistance, Resilience and RESToration to Advance Environmental Justice and Health Equity"

Sacoby Wilson, Ph.D.
Monday, October 27, 2025
McGuire Hall East 
6:00 p.m. lecture and Q&A

Register on the Bridge                                                             

Dr. Sacoby Wilson is a leading expert on environmental justice, health equity, and community resilience with over 25 years of experience. He is a Professor of Global, Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Maryland. He is also the Founder and Director of the Center for Engagement, Environmental Justice & Health.

"Every Man a Sovereign: Violence and Power in America Now"

Elisabeth Anker, Ph.D.
Thursday, September 18, 2025
4th Floor Program Room    

6:00 p.m. light refreshments
6:30 p.m. lecture and Q&A

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Professor Elisabeth Anker (George Washington University), author of Ugly Freedoms, examines how American ideals of liberty have often justified violence and inequality while also inspiring new forms of resistance.