GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Pioneering rap artist, author and motivational speaker Chuck D will be the keynote speaker at Garden City Community College's Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.

The Garden City Telegram (http://bit.ly/WsebsF ) reports the Jan. 21 speech is free and open to the public.

Now 52, Chuck D was the co-founder of the rap group Public Enemy from 1987 to 2009. The group toured worldwide, focusing on social justice and political activism, and was chosen last month for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Colin Lamb, co-sponsor of the college's Student Government Association, says the Martin Luther King Day program always features a speaker with ties to the civil rights movement or a motivational message for young people. Lamb predicts Chuck D will connect not only with students but the entire audience.

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Information from: The Garden City (Kan.) Telegram, http://www.gctelegram.com