Edmonds Community College will host a free Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Thursday, Jan. 12 that features keynote speaker Dr. Joy DeGruy.

DeGruy is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator and author of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome –– America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing.”

She will speak at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on campus in the Black Box Theatre, 20310 68th Ave. W, Lynnwood.

According to a college announcement, DeGruy has been a featured speaker at Harvard and Columbia universities and “is an ambassador for healing and a voice for those who’ve struggled in search of the past, and continue to struggle through the present.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, master’s degrees in social work and clinical psychology, and a doctoral degree in social work research. DeGruy has over 20 years of professional experience in the field of social work, and gives practical insight into cultural and ethnic groups that form the basis of contemporary American society.

Tickets for 12:30 p.m. can be reserved by calling 425-640-1448 or emailing blackboxtheatre@edcc.edu. Tickets for 7 p.m. can be reserved at: https://bit.ly/2fQwDwa.

Online reservations are limited to four per person. Larger groups should contact the box office directly at 425-640-1448 or blackboxtheatre@edcc.edu.

For a directions and a campus map, visit edcc.edu/campus.