Loretta Lynch, the first African American woman to be appointed U.S. attorney general, has been announced as the keynote speaker for Wayne State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute on Friday, Jan. 12, at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Theater.

In addition to her speech, Lynch will also sit for a moderated chat and question-and-answer session with local middle and high school students.

“As we seek to honor the legacy of Dr. King, we are thrilled to be joined by an attorney general who herself has been a trailblazer, history maker and staunch defender of King’s dream of justice and equality for all Americans,” said Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson. “Now as much as ever, it is critical that we all reaffirm our commitment to these values, which remain firmly at the core of Wayne State’s mission.”

The program, the 18th MLK tribute that Wayne State has sponsored since 1997, will also feature poetry and music by local high school students as well as performances by Wayne State’s Black Dance Ensemble, “To Sagana.”

Past speakers include Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix, retired judge and civil rights leader Damon J. Keith, organizer and author Van Jones, and former astronaut Mae Jemison.

Tickets for the 2018 tribute, which is open to the public, are $10 to attend the program only, $65 for the program and luncheon, and $500 for a 10-pack of program and luncheon tickets. Seating is limited.