From MSU News Service
Montana State University will host a free lecture by bestselling author Irshad Manji, founder of the Moral Courage College, at 6pm Thursday, January 18th, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Manji will deliver “Head, Not Just Heart: How MLK Can Transform Your Brain for Good” in the Strand Union Building ballrooms. The free lecture is open to all, and no tickets are required.
In her lecture, Manji will discuss lessons that can be learned from civil rights leaders to heal divides and communicate across deep disagreements. Manji will draw from teachings of the Moral Courage College, which she founded in 2008 and which teaches people to turn contentious issues into constructive conversations and healthy teamwork. Her Moral Courage program aims to equip people to make decisions without compromising their integrity or beliefs.
Manji is known for her bestselling books, including her most recent, “Don’t Label Me: How to Do Diversity Without Inflaming the Culture Wars,” which addresses how shaming and blaming “the other side” causes resentment and retaliation, which only closes minds. Her current work focuses on people being able to navigate conflicts and engage with one another in a highly polarized society: To more effectively open minds to one’s own point of view, according to Manji, it’s important to first listen to the other’s point of view.
Manji was previously a leadership professor at New York University and now teaches with the Oxford Initiative for Global Ethics and Human Rights.
In 2015, Manji was awarded the Lantos Human Rights Prize, given to individuals who exhibit “courage and towering moral strength” and those who have faced personal danger in exposing human rights abuses. Previous recipients of the Lantos prize include the Dalai Lama, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Israeli President Shimon Peres. Manji also received Oprah Winfrey’s first-ever “Chutzpah Award” for boldness in 2004.
Manji previously spoke at MSU in 2016.
Her visit is sponsored by the MSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of the President, Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons and MSU Debut.
Free parking is available after 6pm in MSU’s outdoor parking lots. Additionally, paid parking is available in MSU’s parking garage located near the corner of South Seventh Avenue and Grant Street. More information on parking is available at montana.edu/parking. •
