US Army Col. (Ret.) Edna Cummings is Keynote Speaker For Yale's 2026 MLK Jr. Day Commemoration

NEW HAVEN, CT —Yale University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Commemoration will feature a keynote speech by U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Edna W. Cummings, a veteran, advocate, and storyteller.

The event, which honors King’s life, vision, and enduring challenge to pursue justice through shared understanding and service, is set for Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. in Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall, 1 Prospect St., in New Haven.

The campus commemoration continues a university tradition of honoring the late civil rights leader, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at Yale in 1964.

During a 25-year military career, Cummings held leadership posts at Georgetown University’s Reserve Officers Training Corps program, the Pentagon, and the U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command/U.S. Northern Command.

She was instrumental in securing recognition for the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion — the first all-Black, all-woman battalion deployed overseas during World War II — including work on the documentary film “The Six Triple Eight.” Created for Netflix by writer and director Tyler Perry, the film shone a light on their story. In 2022, the battalion received a Congressional Gold Medal.

“I am honored and humbled to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with the Yale and New Haven communities,” Cummings said.

Following her keynote, Cummings will be joined in conversation by Babz Rawls-Ivy, a New Haven-based journalist, community leader, and host of the radio show LoveBabz LoveTALK, for a discussion on how we “repair the record and build belonging.”

“Dr. King taught us that justice is not only something we demand, but also something we practice together,” said Babz Rawls-Ivy. “Colonel Edna Cummings reminds us that history is not complete until every voice is heard…This conversation is about belonging, courage, and the responsibility we all share to carry our stories forward.”

The event is presented by the 2026 Yale & New Haven MLK Commemoration Committee, the Yale Office of the Secretary and Vice President for University Life, and the Yale College Dean’s Office in collaboration with Yale Schwarzman Center.