Michele Norris, the first African-American female host for NPR, will be the featured speaker at Georgia Southern University's 2015 MLK Celebration on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, 847 Plant Drive.

The annual celebration to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and the University's Multicultural Student Center.

Norris, an award-winning journalist and one of the most recognized and trusted voices in American journalism, was the host of NPR's longest-running national program, "All Things Considered," until 2012. Her journalism has garnered a Peabody Award, duPont Award and Overseas Press Club Award. The National Association of Black Journalists named her the 2009 Journalist of the Year.

"We chose Michele Norris because of her reputation, professional accomplishments, and because of her initiative that she started in 2010, the Race Card Project, which encouraged a wider conversation about race among her readers and listeners," said Dorsey Baldwin, the director of the university's Multicultural Student Center. "We've even started the Race Card Project on our campus to get honest and open feedback from our students, faculty and staff."

Norris is the author of "The Grace of Silence: A Memoir," where she focuses on how America talks about race in the wake of the election of President Barack Obama and explores her own family's racial legacy.

"We're excited for her to discuss her book, ‘The Grace of Silence: A Memoir,' which explores her family's history; and we also hope that she will discuss how far we've come with the conversation on race and where do we go from here," Baldwin said.

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets for the event will not be distributed; however, seating is limited.