Delores P. Dacosta will be the featured speaker for the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Coastal Carolina University on Thursday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. at Wheelwright Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public with a ticket.

Dacosta is regional director for U.S. Senator Tim Scott, representing him at events around South Carolina. A native of Awendaw, S.C., she has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina, a master's degree in public administration from Strayer University and is currently a doctoral candidate in strategic leadership at Regent University.

She has a background in public service which began as a law enforcement officer with the Charleston City Police Department. She was later appointed a Charleston County magistrate by the late Gov. Carroll Campbell. She has spent more than 20 years in the political arena and has worked for three U.S. representatives and one U.S. senator in Washington, D.C. She also served as chief of staff to former Congressman Henry Brown Jr.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is a campuswide event that promotes unity and diversity while highlighting King's triumphs and struggles in the fight for civil rights. Members of the Office of Multicultural Student Services' Leadership Challenge Initiative will also participate in the celebration. A memorial presentation is scheduled, and the CCU gospel choir, the Coastal Inspirational Ambassadors, will perform.

Wheelwright Auditorium is located at 107 Founders Drive on the CCU campus. For more information, contact the University's Office of Multicultural Student Services at 843-349-2863.

Tickets are available at the Wheelwright Box Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 843-349-ARTS.