Bertice Berry, best-selling author and award-winning entertainer, lecturer and comedienne, will be the keynote speaker at the 24th annual Celebration for Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., at Bentley University on Tuesday, January 26, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the Executive Dining Room, LaCava Center, 175 Forest Street in Waltham. The program is free and open to the public, although reservations are required.  Joining Bentley students and staff who help coordinate the event, Bentley President Gloria Larson will also share her own tribute to Rev. King's legacy.

An inspirational speaker, Berry discovered early in her career as a sociology professor how to use humor to address such difficult subjects as racism and sexism. It wasn't long before she became an award-winning entertainer, lecturer and comedienne. Between 1991 and 1994, she won the coveted national Comedian of the Year Award, and was also named Campus Lecturer of the Year and Campus Entertainer of the Year -- creating a niche as both a gifted speaker with a comic edge and a comic with a serious message.

Berry was the host and co-executive producer of her own nationally syndicated talk show, "The Bertice Berry Show," and hosted "USA Live," a four-hour live interview and entertainment show on the USA Cable Network. She has also made TV appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," and "20/20."

A best-selling author, her list of books includes I'm On My Way, But Your Foot Is On My Head; Sckraight From the Ghetto, You Might Be Ghetto If; You STILL Ghetto; Redemption Song; The Haunting of Hip Hop; Jim & Louella Homemade Heart-fix Remedy; When Love Calls, You Better Answer; and The Ties That Bind. A gifted and accomplished singer, she also has a soon-to-be-released CD, Breathe.

An avid community advocate, Berry has donated all of the royalties from the sales of her books to organizations that help families in transition, raise funds for scholarships and provide resource information to low-income families. Her doctrine: "When you walk with purpose, you collide with destiny!"

Space is limited for this event and admission is by reservation only. RSVP to 781.891.2001 or jleccese@bentley.edu.  The event is sponsored by the President's Office, Multicultural Center, Spiritual Life Center, and Alumni Relations.