Today is a day to reflect on the life and lessons of the Rev. Dr. King. In my family we usually have cake and play happy birthday by Stevie Wonder as part of the acknowledgement. King’s birth was indeed a gift to the world and to our nation.

On January 18 2021, Director powell addressed students, faculty and communities at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Banquet which has been a Thurston County tradition for more than 30 years.

As the country continues to make sense of the storming of the US Capitol last Wednesday, the Trump administration is engaged in another form of deluge—an ongoing torrent of last minute regressive rules to lock into place right-wing policy priorities before the president’s last day in office.

This article argues that any analysis that neglects the impact of dominance as a legitimizing characteristic of in-group formation and identity construction based on dominant in-group membership will fall short of understanding the surge of authoritarianism.

In this “Beyond the Great Unraveling: Weaving the World Anew" conference, john a. powell delved deeply into the complexities of civil rights and liberties, structural racism, poverty, housing, racial and ethnic identity, inclusivity, spirituality and social justice, as well as the needs of citizens in a democratic society.

On Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 OBI Director john a. powell and law professor Ian Haney Lopez discussed the chaos in Washington, D.C. when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building demanding Congress halt the certification of the presidential election results.