MLK event Monday to feature Jason Kreag

Saturday, January 14, 2012

On Monday, Jan. 16, DePauw University will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a presentation by DePauw alumnus Jason Kreag.

Just as activist King fought for justice and equality of African-Americans and all people, attorney Kreag, a 1997 DPU graduate, fights for justice for and exoneration of wrongfully sentenced individuals.

DePauw's annual recognition of Dr. King's efforts to create an equal and just world will be held at 7 p.m. in the ballroom of the DePauw Union Building.

Kreag's talk, titled "Our Capacity to Suffer: Innocence Shining Light on the Flaws of the Justice System," is based on a common refrain of Dr. King, who often used "our capacity to suffer" when advocating for nonviolent resistance.

Kreag will bring insight from his current position as a staff attorney at the Innocence Project in New York City where he represents individuals seeking to establish their innocence in post-conviction proceedings.

At DePauw Kreag was a Management Fellow, a Bonner Scholar, a member of the men's basketball team, and the Walker Cup honoree his senior year.

Prof. Gary Lemon, director of the Robert C. McDermond Center for Management and Entrepreneurship, recalled a speech Kreag made after his Management Fellow internship at the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C.

Kreag's account of undertaking the "urban plunge" -- going homeless for two days in Washington with just a quarter in his pocket -- "was one of the most inspiring speeches I've ever heard," Lemon said.

"Kreag is one of the brightest and nicest students I've been associated with in my career," Lemon added.

After graduating from DePauw, Kreag earned an M.A. in philanthropic studies from Indiana University-Indianapolis. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2003.

Kreag was previously a staff attorney at the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta.

Monday's gathering saluting the continuing work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.depauw.edu or call 658-4850.

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