Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Devon Patton ’94 to Emcee the 2021 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Thursday, January 28, 2021, By News Staff
Share
alumniAnnual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. CelebrationDiversity and Inclusion

Devon Patton ’94 will serve as emcee for the 36th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, which will take place online on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. ET, Patton is a news anchor with Spectrum News.

“Devon Patton is not only a gifted and respected public figure but also a beloved graduate of Syracuse University,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel and co-chair of the organizing committee. “As we prepare for a memorable celebration in the midst of these challenging times, we are elated that he accepted our invitation to participate. His presence will contribute toward a meaningful celebration.”

Davon Patton '94

Devon Patton ’94

Patton embraces the role of emcee and appreciates the event’s meaning and timeliness. “What an amazing coincidence that we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King at a time when we need more unity and non-violent voices,” says Patton. “Dr. King was all about people coming together in a non-violent way and not just with people who look like each other or think like each other.”

Registration for the 36th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration is now open and free to all at mlk.syr.edu.

Ruby Bridges, one of the first African American students to attend an all-white elementary school in the South, will serve as the keynote speaker. Bridges will reflect on Dr. King’s work, as well as the impact of education in sparking and sustaining social change. Additionally, the event includes student and community performances, as well as the presentation of the Unsung Hero Awards.

Patton graduated from Syracuse University in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication, now communication and rhetorical studies, in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. During his four years at the University, he was a successful athlete with a track and field scholarship. Patton was named Big East Champion in the 400-meter hurdles and qualified for the Olympic trials during his athletic career at the University.

Patton spent the beginning of his professional career working as a programming assistant at WCAU, a NBC station in Philadelphia. He later continued his career working as a photojournalist in West Virginia and North Carolina. His first on-air opportunity was in North Carolina, and he later served in  reporter and anchor roles in Kentucky, Nebraska and Louisiana. Even though Patton has worked all over the country, he feels strongly connected to the Central New York community. He currently lives with his wife and children in Jamesville, New York.

Patton has been a news anchor at Spectrum News for almost three years. He values the importance of storytelling in his profession, and his experience in the television news industry has allowed him to create unique connections within the communities that he has interacted with.

Learn more about the 2021 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.

This story was written by Whitney Welbaum ’23.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Syracuse University Press Participating in Path to Open Program
    Friday, September 29, 2023, By Cristina Hatem
  • A&S Chemistry Professor Receives Award From the American Chemical Society
    Friday, September 29, 2023, By News Staff
  • ‘Guys and Dolls’ opens Syracuse University Department of Drama 2023/24 Season
    Friday, September 29, 2023, By Joanna Penalva
  • Libraries Add MindSpa Wellness Rooms
    Friday, September 29, 2023, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse University Announces the Opening of the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy and Astrophysics
    Friday, September 29, 2023, By Kerrie Marshall

More In Campus & Community

Syracuse University Press Participating in Path to Open Program

Syracuse University Press is participating in Path to Open, a groundbreaking collaboration between university presses, libraries and JSTOR, to promote sustainable open-access publishing of high-quality scholarly eBooks and increase meaningful engagement with them. Through the program, Syracuse University Press will…

Libraries Add MindSpa Wellness Rooms

Syracuse University Libraries is adding two ‘MindSpa’ wellness rooms, designed similarly to the Barnes Center at The Arch Crowley Family MindSpa, on Sunday, Oct. 1, in Bird Library. The Bird Library MindSpa consists of two rooms – a Massage Chair…

LGBTQ History Month: A Milestone to Reflect, Celebrate and Grow Community

Each October, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Resource Center unveils a calendar that through the lenses of intersectionality, LGBTQ and global communities reflects on their history and contributions while looking to the future. The University’s official kickoff…

Christine Stallmann Named University’s Chief Compliance Officer

Christine Stallmann has been named the University’s chief compliance officer. The position, which will report directly to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Padgett in the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services, is a key component of…

What to Expect With the Link Hall Renovations

Machinery and power tools echo throughout Link Hall as construction workers bustle about the building. Since the spring of 2022, Link Hall has been undergoing renovations, and big changes are on the horizon. Bruce Molino, director of space management and…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2023 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.