Cheryl Davenport Dozier, president of Savannah State University and former associate provost and chief diversity officer at the University of Georgia, will give the keynote address for UGA’s 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast Jan. 12 at 7:30 a.m. in the Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center.
The Freedom Breakfast honors the legacy of the late civil rights leader, recognizing individuals in the community whose work has made significant contributions regarding race relations, justice and human rights with the President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award. Jointly sponsored by UGA, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and the Clarke County School District, this year’s theme is “The Power of the Dream: Pressing Toward the Promise.”
Dozier worked for 17 years at UGA, serving on the president’s Cabinet and as a professor in the School of Social Work prior to taking the role of president at Savannah State in 2011. During her presidency, Savannah State has seen an increase in enrollment and fundraising, as well as the establishment of new alumni chapters. Dozier also launched the Closing the Gap Fund, which aims to remove financial barriers to higher education. She earned her bachelor’s at Farleigh Dickinson University, a master’s degree in social work from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) and a doctorate in social work from the City University of New York.
Tickets for the MLK Freedom Breakfast are sold out.