Meet the MIT SHASS MLK Visiting Scholars for 2023-24

About
Established in 1991, the MLK Visiting Professors and Scholars Program honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While at MIT, MLK Visiting Scholars and Artists enhance their scholarship, enrich the intellectual life of MIT, and are deeply engaged in the life of the Institute through teaching and research. SHASS is honored to welcome three outstanding MLK Visiting Scholars to the community for the 2023-24 academic year.

2023-2024 MLK Visiting Scholars
MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Wasalu 'Lupe Fiasco' Jaco, MLK Visiting Scholar

Wasalu 'Lupe Fiasco’ Jaco is a rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and community advocate. Returning for a second year, Grammy award-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco is continuing to work with Professor of Digital Media Nick Montfort to engage the MIT community at the intersection of rap, computing, and activism. Hosted by Professor Nick Montfort, Comparative Media Studies/Writing Program, and Professor Mary Fuller, Literature.

Louis J. Massiah, MLK Visiting Scholar

Louis J. Massiah is a documentary filmmaker and the founder/director of Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia. His innovative approach to documentary filmmaking and community media has earned him numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship (1996-2001), two Rockefeller/Tribeca fellowships, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Massiah holds a Master of Science in Visual Studies from MIT.
Hosted by Professor Vivek Bald, MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing Program.

Christine Taylor-Butler, MLK Visiting Scholar

Christine Taylor-Butler is a children's book author who has written more than 90 books, among them The Lost Tribe series, which she describes as “the technical Harry Potter.” Taylor-Butler holds dual SB degrees in Civil Engineering and in Architecture (1981) from MIT and was formerly an interviewer for MIT Admissions. Hosted by Professor Graham M. Jones, Anthropology.