The Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Service at Stanford University, in partnership with the NorcalMLK Foundation, is a revered annual event that honors Dr. King's legacy.
At the heart of this service is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Address, a profound and thought-provoking speech delivered by a distinguished guest speaker. The address serves as a platform for addressing contemporary social justice issues, reflecting on Dr. King's teachings, and inspiring positive change.
The celebration service is a gathering of the Stanford University community and the wider public to commemorate Dr. King's contributions to civil rights and social progress. It features a program that includes music, spoken word performances, and reflections on Dr. King's life and work. This event fosters dialogue, unity, and a renewed commitment to advancing the principles of equality and justice that Dr. King championed throughout his life. It's a moment to reflect on the ongoing struggle for civil rights and to celebrate the progress made while acknowledging the work that remains ahead.
The MLK Celebration speaker, Carlton Waterhouse, J.D. is an international expert on environmental law and environmental justice, as well as reparations and redress for historic injustices. In 2021, he was appointed by President Joe Biden in the role of Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management at the Environmental Protection Agency and nominated to the United States Senate to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the office. During his two years serving in the Office of Land and Emergency Management, he oversaw the nation’s programs for toxic waste site remediation, community revitalization and redevelopment through contaminated site cleanup, hazardous and solid waste materials management, chemical plant safety, and emergency response to toxic spills, fires, and explosions.
He recently testified on the importance of reparations for African Americans before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States. He is a Fulbright research scholar and is a board member of the Environmental Law Institute. His views have been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. He is a highly sought-after speaker who regularly addresses national and international audiences. His forthcoming book with Cambridge University Press explores the historic and contemporary role of the United States Supreme Court in maintaining racial hierarchy. His scholarship includes essays, articles, and book chapters focused on the ethical and legal dimensions of environmental justice and reparations.
Professor Waterhouse is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where he studied engineering and the ethics of technology before deciding to study law. He is a graduate of the Howard University School of Law. While in law school, he served as an intern with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
After completing law school, Professor Waterhouse began his career as an attorney with the EPA, where he served in the Office of Regional Counsel in Atlanta, Georgia and the Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C. At the EPA, he served as the chief counsel for the agency in several significant cases and as a national and regional expert on environmental justice, earning three of the Agency’s prestigious national awards. His responsibilities at the EPA included enforcement actions under numerous environmental statutes, the development of regional and national policy on Environmental Justice and the application of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the EPA permitting actions.
Professor Waterhouse graduated with honors from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University with a Master of Theological Studies degree and from the Emory University Graduate School with a Ph.D. in Social Ethics.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, Professor Waterhouse examines civil rights and human rights issues in his scholarship and service. Professor Waterhouse actively participates in national and local organizations protecting civil rights and formerly served on a advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. He teaches property law, environmental law, and administrative law related courses and is building the Howard University Environmental Justice Center at Howard Law School.
The address is a partnership between the NorcalMLK Foundation, Stanford University's Office for Religious & Spiritual Life.
Enjoy the 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Service, featuring the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Address by Dr. Raymond C. Carr, here.
