Darren Walker named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture speaker

Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation and dedicated philanthropist, will deliver the fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture at Harvard. Walker was nominated by the Harvard community in recognition of his contributions to advancing justice and equality, embodying King’s vision of building the “beloved community.”

As president of the Ford Foundation, an organization with the mission of “reducing poverty and injustice, strengthening democratic values, promoting international cooperation, and advancing human achievement,” Walker’s visionary leadership transformed the philanthropic sector as he created numerous innovative programs and initiatives that focused on addressing systemic inequality and advancing social justice.

“Since 2013, Darren Walker has pursued the mission of one of the nation’s greatest philanthropic institutions with creativity, intensity, and urgency, focusing on ‘not just wealth disparities, but injustices in politics, culture and society that compound inequality and limit opportunity,’” said President Alan Garber. “This broader and deeper remit, combined with his own lasting commitment to both hope and justice, has opened new possibilities for individuals and communities, including our own, to make meaningful and lasting change in the world.”

Although Walker has announced plans to step down from the foundation by the end of 2025, his legacy will remain. With Walker at the helm, the foundation launched several innovative initiatives and programs such as the U.S. Disability Rights program, which focuses on promoting disability rights in the United States with a $10 million annual budget. He spearheaded the foundation’s effort in issuing a $1 billion social bond to support other nonprofit organizations during the pandemic to ensure their work could continue, and he chaired the philanthropy committee that was instrumental in resolving Detroit’s bankruptcy in 2014 through the Grand Bargain, a deal that saved the Detroit Institute of Arts and guaranteed retired city workers would receive their pensions. Additionally, under Walker’s leadership, the Ford Foundation has funded many projects aimed at creating economic opportunity and increasing broadband access to rural communities across the United States.

In his latest book “The Idea of America: Reflections on Inequality, Democracy, and the Values We Share,” Walker shares his life journey from birth in a Louisiana charity hospital, rise to leading the Ford Foundation, philosophy and vision for tackling inequality and advancing social justice through philanthropy, and call for a more just future through various essays, speeches, and reflections. Walker is also the author of “From Generosity to Justice: A New Gospel of Wealth,” in which he discusses looking at philanthropy through a new lens in the 21st century — one where philanthropy is used to achieve economic, social, and political justice as he recognizes that the levels of inequality seen now are greater than those from Andrew Carnegie’s time when he wrote “Gospel of Wealth” in 1889.

Before leading the Ford Foundation, Walker was vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation, where he led initiatives abroad and at home such as Rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Walker also served as chief operating officer of the Abyssinian Development Corp., where he led efforts to develop over 1,000 units of affordable housing in Harlem. Growing up, Walker exclusively attended public schools and was a student of the first Head Start class in 1965. He earned his B.A., B.S., and J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Walker is a co-chair of New York City’s Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers and co-founded the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance and the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy. He is a member of numerous boards, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the National Gallery of Art, and more.

Walker is a recipient of various honors, including Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2017. In 2009, he was recognized by his alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin, with its highest alumni honor — the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has also been recognized globally — in 2022, he was awarded the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, their highest cultural honor, and in 2023 Queen Elizabeth II appointed him to the Order of the British Empire for services to UK/U.S. relations. He has been recognized in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list, and he was named Philanthropy Innovator of the Year by The Wall Street Journal in 2020 and Foundation Leader of the Year by Inside Philanthropy in 2023.

Hosted by the Office of the President and overseen by Community and Campus Life, the lecture will be on Oct. 27 in Memorial Church.