Whether it was growing up in segregated Georgia, working with leaders across the country during the Civil Rights Movement, leading a congregation at Calvary Baptist Church, or teaching an ethnic studies class at the U, Reverend France A. Davis has lived the theme of “choosing love over hate.” Join us for an in-person Q&A discussion with Reverend Davis to learn about his experiences and discuss “choosing love” in navigating today’s challenges.
Reverend France A. Davis once marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery. Now retired, Rev. Davis served as a Pastor at Clavary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City for more than 45 years; he has been pastor emeritus since December 2019. He came to Salt Lake City in 1972 as a teaching fellow and graduate student at the University of Utah. He was appointed instructor in communication and ethnic studies courses, earning a distinguished teaching award, among other honors. He retired in 2014 from the U as an Adjunct Associate Professor Emeritus. He holds numerous honorary doctorate degrees, including one from the U. He has written four books about Utah’s Black history including a memoir titled, “Trance Davis: An American Story Told,” published by the U of U Press. Rev. Davis currently serves as the chaplain to the U’s football team. In October 2022, the Marriott Library established the France Davis Utah Black Archive in order to capture and preserve the stories of Black people in Utah.
This event is part of MLK Week: January 14 – 20, 2023.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Week (MLK Week) is a platform for engaging students, faculty, trainees, staff, and community members in critical conversations around race and contemporary civil rights issues in America. MLK Week 2023 host a series of events exploring the reverend’s complex ideas on the meaning of love, and together we’ll examine the strength needed to choose it when faced with hatred and division.
MLK Week 2023 is planned in partnership with various organizations across the University of Utah and sponsored by 
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