Ford School MLK symposium to feature Montgomery, AL, Mayor Steven Reed

December 7, 2023

The Ford School will welcome Montgomery, AL, Mayor Steven Reed to Weill Hall for an event on Tuesday, Jan. 16, in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Mayor Reed is serving his second term, and has led initiatives on job growth, increased investment in public schools, and public safety and neighborhood collaborations.  

Like Dr. King, Mayor Reed is a graduate (cum laude) of Morehouse College, an HBCU in Atlanta.

Mayor Reed is a lifelong public servant and leader who previously served as Montgomery County, Alabama’s first Black and youngest elected Probate Judge. 

Beyond his civic engagements, Mayor Reed is an accomplished author. His memoir “FIRST, BEST: Lessons in Leadership and Legacy from Today’s Civil Rights Movement” reflects on his childhood and circuitous path to becoming Montgomery’s first Black mayor.

Mayor Reed is a recipient of numerous awards, including being named 2023 Mayor of the Year by the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award for Governmental Service, and the Sigma Phi Chapter Superior Service Award. He is the First Vice President of the African American Mayors Association and a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Board of Trustees.

Following his remarks, he will sit down with Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes for a conversation and Q&A moderated by Ford School students. 

Event details can be found here.