NORMAL - A motivational speaker and an environmental pioneer will be the keynote speakers at two events planned to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Samuel Betances, a sociologist, educator and professor of 20 years, will speak at the 33rd annual King luncheon at 1 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Bone Student Center's Brown Ballroom at Illinois State University, Normal. Tickets cost $15 and are available at the human resources departments at Bloomington and Normal city halls.

Jerome Ringo, president of Apollo Alliance, a coalition that promotes clean energy solutions, will give the keynote speech, "The Color of Green: Dr. King's Vision for the Future" at the 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship Dinner at 5 p.m. Jan. 25 at Young Main Lounge of the Memorial Center at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington.

Tickets for the dinner cost $13 for adults and $6.50 for children under 12 and are available at the IWU Bookstore, Hansen Student Center.

The 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday Gospel Festival will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Jan. 19 at Westbrook Auditorium, Presser Hall, IWU School of Music, Bloomington. The event is free.

Betances, who is biracial, bicultural and bilingual, has taught race relations, the U.S. Latino experience, and church and society, education and reform and gender issues. He recently released an educational book and tape series called "Ten Steps to the Head of the Class."

He is a motivational speaker for Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies, community groups, colleges and universities.

Betances grew up in inner-city poverty and dropped out of school but went on to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. He now is part of the executive team of Souder, Betances and Associates Inc. of Chicago, diversity trainers and consultants.

Ringo initiated environmental justice groups after seeing the pollution generated by the Louisiana petrochemical industry where he worked.

He was elected to the National Wildlife Federation's board of directors in 1996 and was elected chairman in 2005. In 1998, he was the only black delegate from the United States at the global warming treaty negotiations in Kyoto, Japan.

He joined Apollo Alliance in 2005. The company is a coalition of business, community, environmental and labor leaders that promote clean energy solutions to lower dependence on foreign energy, reduce carbon emissions and secure jobs for Americans.