By Nashville Voice STAFF
Fisk University has announced that will “The Atlantic” staff writer Van R. Newkirk II will serve as keynote speaker for its Martin Luther King, Jr. convocation, which will be hosted this Thursday, Jan. 17 in the Fisk Memorial Chapel.
The annual convocation, which is free and open to the public, will commemorate the legacy of the late Civil Rights activist.
Newkirk covers politics and policy for “The Atlantic,” where he focuses on civil rights, environmental justice, and health policy. He is a recent recipient of the American Society of Magazine Editors’ ASME Next award, and a recipient of The Root’s Root 100 recognition in 2017.
Prior to working at The Atlantic, Newkirk wrote for Daily Kos, where he focused on justice and health issues, focusing on the intersection of policy, race, class, and culture. He also has contributed articles, essays, and photography to sites such as GQ, Gawker, Grantland, and Ebony.
Vann is also the founder of Seven Scribes and a contributing editor. He lives in Hyattsville, Maryland with his wife and son.
