serves as executive director of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) and is the first African American to be in this position. Guyton has years of executive experience, coaching leaders and cultivating relationships with diverse volunteers and donors. With over 20 years of training in anti-racism and cultural competency, he initially was hired to work with the denomination’s racial/ethnic groups to help MC USA reap the benefits that come with being more diverse, inclusive and culturally competent. As an international speaker, Guyton enjoys connecting with youth, young adults and organizations seeking to stay true to their mission while navigating an increasingly diverse environment. His most recent book is IDEAL: Discovering Your Call in a Cluttered World. Guyton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in Education from Regent University. He is a member of San Antonio Mennonite Church in Texas.

Gather for the annual MLK, Jr. Celebration Convocation featuring , Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Jalane Schmidt’s research and teaching is focused upon African diaspora religions of the Caribbean and Latin America, and particularly festivity and ritual. Dr. Schmidt teaches courses which consider the effects of colonization and the slave trade upon religious practice in the Americas. In her book project on 20th c. Cubans’ devotion to their patron saint, she examines religious, racial, and cultural hybridity in the Americas by interpreting the national expansion of this popular cult. In her emerging research, she is investigating how the history of slavery is performed in spirit possession rituals and expressed in material culture. Particularly, she is concerned with how contemporary mediums describe heightened sensory perception as a means for navigating traumatic emotional terrain.

A drum circle follows this convocation program in Lehman Auditorium from 11:30 a.m.-Noon.

For a complete program schedule, see MLK, Jr. Day of Service and Learning.