World-renowned diversity trainer Kesho Scott to speak at Randolph MLK service

Kesho Scott

Kesho Scott, an internationally renowned diversity trainer/consultant, activist, and award-winning author, will be the featured speaker at Randolph College’s annual service honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. The event is scheduled Monday, January 22 at 7 p.m. in Houston Memorial Chapel.

During her visit to Randolph, Scott will also take time to meet and talk with Randolph students.

“Randolph College is honored to welcome such a prominent scholar and civil rights advocate, especially this year as we mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Randolph President Bradley W. Bateman. “Dr. Kesho has done incredible work to improve intercultural competency in the workplace and to combat individual and institutional racism across the world. She is truly an inspiration.”

Scott is an associate professor of American studies and sociology at Grinnell College and a founding member of International Capacity Building Services. This organization provides cultural competency training in facilitating both “unlearning isms” and human rights workshops as well various seminars and training programs that have been successfully adapted for audiences throughout the United States and abroad.

Scott is also a 2016 inductee of the Iowa African American Hall of Fame and has appeared on CNN, Iowa Public Radio, and the Oprah Winfree Show. In addition, she was named Iowa Woman of the Year in 1986 and earned the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice in 2008. She has authored multiple books including The Habit of Surviving: Black Women’s Strategies for Life and Tight Spaces, for which she received an American Book Award.

In addition to her role at Grinnell College, Scott has held several distinguished faculty positions including visiting professor at Nanjing University in China and Fulbright visiting professor at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Wayne State University, an M.A. in political sociology from the University of Detroit, and a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Iowa.