William G. Anderson Lecture Series
Slavery to Freedom: An American Odyssey
MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Annual Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series gives the community opportunities to interact with multicultural leaders from education, business, industry, entertainment and government. For 26 years, this series has featured living icons of the American Civil Rights Movement and community change makers. All activities are offered at no cost, thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, and can be attended in person or virtually.
Featured Speakers
Dean Jelani Cobb, Ph.D.
The Half-Life of Freedom, Race and Justice in America
February 5, 2026
5:30pm
MSU Multicultural Center, East Lansing, MI
Dr. Jelani Cobb is the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York. He is the author of "The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress and To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic." He has also edited or co-edited several volumes of a collection of The New Yorker's writings on race and "The Essential Kerner Commission Report." He has also produced or co-produced several documentaries.
Socialight Society is offering pre-sale copies of Dr. Cobb’s latest book: Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here: 2012–2025. Click here to order your copy.
Bob Kendrick
February 12, 2026
5:30pm
Charles Wright Museum, Detroit, MI
Bob Kendrick is the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), which is the world's only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating African American baseball and the impact that it had on the social advancement of America. He has created many signatures educational programs and events, including Hall of the Game, honoring Major League Baseball giants that represented the spirit and style of the Negro leagues. He is also a contributing writer for Ebony Magazine and the national Urban League's Opportunity Magazine.
Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway
Gee's Bend Quilting Collective
February 26, 2026
5:30pm
MSU Multicultural Center, East Lansing, MI
Mary Ann and China have created hundreds of quilt masterpieces from the early 20th century to the present. Many of their quilts are in traveling exhibits that have been all around the United States, including the Smithsonian and here at MSU. The quilting tradition in Gee's Bend can be traced as far as the early 1800s. (Back then, the Gee's Bend women created quilts to keep themselves warm in unheated shacks that didn't have running water, telephones, or electricity. It's not just a skill - it's a language and has been passed down for generations). The Gee's Bend Quilters' Collective holds quilting workshops throughout the country. It's a ministry that has even taken them to Vice President Kamala Harris' home.
Sponsors
Many thanks to our sponsors for their help in making this event a great success!
Corporate
- MSU Federal Credit Union
Platinum
- Michigan Osteopathic Association (in-kind)
- Office of the Provost
Gold
- Anissa Mattison, D.O.
- City of East Lansing Human Rights Commission
- Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
- University Health & Well Being
Silver
- College of Communication Arts & Sciences
- Eli Broad College of Business
Patron
- Clerical Technical Union of Michigan State University
- Dr. Lee and Shirley June
- Lyman Briggs College
- MSU College of Law
- Osteopathic Medical Specialties
- Revs. Joseph D. and Peggy Huston
- Shirley Ann Harding, D.O.
Contact
Please contact Barbara Breedlove for more information. Call (517) 432-4979 or email breedlov@msu.edu.
History of the Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series
William G. Anderson, D.O., was a founder of the Albany Movement, a seminal struggle for civil rights in Georgia in the 1960s, and the first African American to have been elected national president of the American Osteopathic Association. 
Friend and faculty member of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine throughout its history, he has been essential in developing and sustaining the “Slavery to Freedom” lecture series. To honor his singular achievements as a physician, an activist and cornerstone of this program, we are proud to name it in his honor: the Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series: Slavery to Freedom.
Now in its 25th year, this program gives members of the mid-Michigan community opportunities to interact with multicultural leaders from education, business, industry, entertainment and government.