Lerone Bennett, an award-winning author and executive editor of Ebony magazine, will visit Iowa State Thursday as part of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration.

Bennett will speak on King’s life at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

Bennett has written several books on popular black history, including “What Manner of Man: A Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” “Confrontation: Black and White Black Power U.S.A.” and “The Shaping of Black America.” Bennett has worked for Jet magazine and was the senior editor for Ebony magazine from 1958 to 1987.

Throughout his career, Bennett has won many awards, including the Patron Saints Award from the Society of Midland Authors for his book about King. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and the Salute to Greatness Award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Pat Miller, director of the ISU Lectures Program, said she is honored to have Bennett visit Iowa State.

“He is very respected as a major person in African-American history. We’ve been trying to bring him here for many years,” Miller said.

— Leslie Winjum