Radical justice arises when we bring the past and the present together. But what does that look like in practice? And what responsibility do we have to shape the future? 

At the Martin Luther King Lecture 2025, Nani Jansen Reventlow showed how law and social movements together can create real change. She challenged us to take responsibility for a more just society ourselves.

Review

The evening began with the final of the Spoken Word contest, after which VU researcher Nieke Elbers offered a reflection on radical justice from a scientific perspective. This was followed by the lecture by Nani Jansen Reventlow. Students, graduates, and changemakers concluded in the Echo of the Future with their own questions and perspectives.

Read the review and view the photos of the Martin Luther King Lecture.

About the speakers

Nani Jansen Reventlow
is a human rights lawyer and founder of Systemic Justice, an organisation that works with affected communities to bring about legal change. At the Martin Luther King Lecture, she provides the keynote on radical justice, based on her recently published book Radical Justice. With her international experience in strategic litigation, she shows how justice can contribute to structural change and social equality.

Nieke Elbers
is associate professor at VU Amsterdam and senior researcher at the NSCR. She has expertise in victimisation, restorative justice and procedural justice. From her research experience, she raises sharp questions about recovery, responsibility and human dignity within legal systems.

Dave Ensberg-Kleijkers
is chairman of the Martin Luther King Foundation and of the Zonova Foundation, where he is responsible for 19 primary schools in Amsterdam Zuidoost. He holds various social positions in the field of education and inclusion. Social justice, equal opportunities and connection are central to his work.

Tanja Jadnanansing (moderator)
studied law at VU Amsterdam and was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party (PvdA) from 2010 to 2016. Since 2018, she has been Chair of the Executive Board of the Amsterdam-Zuidoost district, where she is committed to education, diversity, and equal opportunities. In addition, she serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of Nuffic and as a member of the Advisory Board of VU Amsterdam.

About the Martin Luther King Lecture

Martin Luther King's non-violent struggle for equal rights is still an inspiration today. With his speeches, he enthused many and managed to build bridges and remove resistance. The annual Martin Luther King Lecture is in memory of his work and for inspiration.

The Martin Luther King Lecture 2025 is made possible by the VUvereniging. The Spoken Word contest is supported by the Anton de Kom Chair.