Press Release
IPP Chief Receives 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King Drum Major Award
January 30, 2008
On January 30, Reginald Mengi, Chairman of the Media Owners Association of Tanzania (MOAT), and Executive Chairman of IPP limited, was awarded The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award. In a sermon on February 4, 1968, Dr. King said, "if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice, say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." This award is presented annually by the American Ambassador at the U.S. Mission in commemoration of the life and achievements of Dr. King.
Dr. King was first and foremost a Christian pastor, who was ordained in 1948 (at the age of 19) and received his PhD in Systematic Theology from Boston University in 1955. Upon completion of his studies at BU, Dr. King accepted the call of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama, where he served as pastor from September 1954 to November 1959. He resigned to move to Atlanta to direct the activities of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and served as co-pastor with his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Mr. Mengi is a pioneer in the advancement of investigative journalism in Tanzania. As Chairman of the Media Owners Association of Tanzania, Mr. Mengi has promoted responsible journalism across all of Tanzania’s media. Through IPP Media, he has empowered journalists to investigate corruption and abuses, promoting a more just society through a more free and responsible press.