Some local events to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day:
The 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration programming highlights the youth in our community who every year interpret Dr. King’s words through an art, speech and writing contest. In addition, various cultural arts organizations take center stage in Uihlein Hall. The event concludes with the Paulette Y. Copeland Reception in Bradley Pavilion. The keynote speaker will be Joan M. Prince, Ambassador Emeritus and Alternate Representative to the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations and Vice Chancellor of UW-Milwaukee. In honor of the celebration’s 30th anniversary, MPS 1994-95 youth scholarship winner, Milwaukee Ald. Milele A Coggs will also speak as a King Honoree. The event will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, in Uihein Hall, the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. For more information, go to the Marcus Center’s website.
Bel Canto Chorus, Holy Redeemer Choir and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra are pleased to announce "The Dream Lives On: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, at Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ, 3500 West Mother Daniels Way (35th and Hampton). Musical performances by Bel Canto Chorus, Holy Redeemer Choir, and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra include; Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony No. 110-a, Holland’s “Lord Make Me an Instrument,” and “Alleluia” by Randall Thompson. The program will also feature historic words from Dr. King's “Letters from a Birmingham Jail,” Robert Kennedy’s “Speech Announcing King’s Assassination” and King's “I Still Have a Dream” speech. This is a free concert open to the public; no tickets are needed. For more information, go to belcanto.org.
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The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Program and March will be held on Monday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1927 N. 4th St. The commemorative program will be followed at 2:30 p.m. by a three-block march to Dr. King’s statue on MLK Drive, just north of Walnut Street, where there will be an open microphone to reflect on King’s work. The event will focus on the message of Dr. King toward the end of his life when he strongly confronted not only racism, but also poverty, militarism and economic injustice. The program will honor Milwaukee worker’s justice movement, Dr. Jay Larkey and MacCanon Brown. Performers include singers Dorothy Jackson, Fred Reed and Milwaukee actor Andre Lee Ellis. Featured will be a play reading on King’s assassination.
The event is sponsored by the Milwaukee Justice Coalition. The coalition has come together annually for this event for the past 12 years and includes grassroots groups working on issues of poverty, homelessness, economic justice and peace.
This year’s coalition includes St. Francis Church, Peace Action Wisconsin, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Veterans for Peace, Welfare Warriors, Greater Milwaukee Green Party, Injured Workers Center, Greater Milwaukee Human Rights Network, Voces de la Frontera, Benedict Center, Summer of Peace, Milwaukee Branch Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Progressive Democrats of America in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, Marquette University Center for Peacemaking and the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative.
The Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church will hold a celebration in honor of King at 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20, at Albright United Methodist Church, 5555 W. Capitol Drive. Bishop Julius Trimble of the Iowa Annual Conference will be a guest preacher at this worship service focused on celebrating Dr. King’s life and how his vision is being lived out. Music will be provided by members of the Marquette University Gospel Choir and a combined choir of Milwaukee-area United Methodist Churches. In addition, an offering will be taken for the Rising Sun Camp, a Wisconsin UMC-sponsored summer camp that serves school-age children who have incarcerated parents. Go to www.wisconsinumc.org for more information.
