Annual Inspiration from Dr. Janice S. Ellis

Janice S. Ellis, Ph.D., is the Nellie Bly Book Awards (CIBA) for Investigative and Long Form Journalism Works Grand Prize winner and the Journey Book Awards for Overcoming Adversity (CIBA). Her works address political, racial, educational, and socioeconomic news and issues.

Dr. Ellis has been an author for more than thirty years and writes for columns for newspapers along with broadcasting on radio and streaming services. We are honored that she has submitted and received Chanticleer International Book Awards and Chanticleer five-starred book reviews, for the following books, that have also received other prestigious awards and stellar reviews from Kirkus and Midwest Book Reviews.

• Real Advocacy Journalism 
• Shaping Public Opinion: How Real Advocacy Journalism Should Be Practiced
• Using My Word Power
• From Liberty to Magnolia: In Search of the American Dream

We saw that Dr. Ellis’s column for MLK Day was published in the Missouri Independent this morning, along with publications across the country that have picked it up. We always love to crow about the successes of Chanticleerians!

Here is a blurb from Dr. Ellis’ article (published with her permission) and the links below where you may click on it to read it in its entirety.

It is an inspirational and thought-provoking article to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. today. And timely! 

Photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. at his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the U.S.A. Capitol on August 28, 1963. Photo from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Smithsonian

King began his fight to gain equal rights for Blacks, poor Whites and other disenfranchised groups years before the March on Washington. He continued the fight until his assassination in 1968 at the young age of 39.

We will never know how long he would have stayed the course, working for equal justice, equal opportunity, equality in housing, employment and education to become standard practice, ingrained in the fabric of American life.

But he let us know how deeply his beliefs and faith ran: “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” – Janice Ellis, Ph.D.

Below is the growing list of 20+ publications (so far) that have picked up this important opinion piece by Dr. Ellis where you may read the article in its entirety:

• Washington State Standard The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – Washington State Standard
• Colorado Newline The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – Colorado Newsline
• Oregon Capital Chronicle Janice Ellis, Author at Oregon Capital Chronicle
• Arizona Mirror Janice Ellis, Author at Arizona Mirror (azmirror.com)
• New Jersey Monitor Janice Ellis, Author at New Jersey Monitor
• Oklahoma Voice Opinion: The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  – Oklahoma Voice
• South Dakota Searchlight The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – South Dakota Searchlight
• Arkansas Advocate The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  – Arkansas Advocate
• NC (North Carolina) Newsline The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today | NC Newsline
• Lansing City Pulse The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  | City Pulse (lansingcitypulse.com)
• Ohio Capital Journal The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – Ohio Capital Journal
• News From The States The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  | News From The States
• Maryland Matters The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – Maryland Matters
• Louisiana Illuminator The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – Louisiana Illuminator (lailluminator.com)
• Michigan Advance The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  ⋆ Michigan Advance
• Rhode Island Current The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  – Rhode Island Current
• Idaho Capital Sun The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today – Idaho Capital Sun
• Shore Local News Magazine  The lessons of Martin Luther King’s life should give us hope today – Shore Local Newsmagazine
• Perryville Republic Monitor The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  | Perryville Republic Monitor
• Daily Montanan The lessons of Martin Luther King’s life should give us hope today – Daily Montanan
• New Hampshire Bulletin The lessons of Martin Luther King’s life should give us hope today  – New Hampshire Bulletin
• Missouri Independent The lessons of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life should give us hope today  • Missouri Independent

About the columnist

Janice Ellis, Ph.D.

Janice S. Ellis, M.A., M.A., Ph.D., a native daughter of Mississippi, grew up and came of age during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement.

Dr. Ellis has been an executive throughout her career, first in government, then in a large pharmaceutical company, and later as a president and CEO of a marketing firm and a bi-state non-profit child advocacy agency. In addition to those positions, she has been writing columns for more than four decades on race, politics, education, and other social issues for newspapers, radio, and online. Her commentary can be found at janicesellis.com.

Follow her on facebook.com and twitter.com.

Five Interesting Facts About Martin Luther King, Jr.

These facts are from a story published on the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture website. To read more and for photographs, please visit the original article:  https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/5-things-know-surprising-facts

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. was named after the Protestant reformer Martin Luther
2. King entered college when he was 15-years-old and graduated valedictorian. He was awarded his Ph.D. at the age of 25 from Boston University.
3. King was arrested 29 times. Learn more at The King Institute, Stanford University. 
4. King survived an assassination attempt where he was stabbed (1958) a decade before his murder.
5. December 8, 1999, “twelve jurors reached a unanimous decision that King’s death was a result of a conspiracy” and not the act of James Earl Ray, a single shooter. The New York Times article printed on December 9, 1999, Section A, Page 25.