15th Annual Community Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday to be held Saturday, January 16
(Green Bay) –Area residents from different cultural backgrounds are uniting next week to celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Featuring multicultural dance performances, music, and the inspiring words of Dr. King, the 15th Annual Community Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday will be held Saturday, January 16, 2010, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon, in the Student Center, on Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s Green Bay campus. This vibrant celebration is free and open to people of all ages and cultures.
“I love the theme of this year's celebration, ‘Moving Forward with the Dream,’” said Dr. Jolanda Sallman, event co-chairperson. “To me, the theme speaks to the intention of our annual celebration, which is creating a community that embodies King's dream, and also acts as an invitation for each participant to take responsibility for his/her own role in creating the type of world in which the dream can thrive.”
The event will feature African, Hmong, and Native-American dance performances as well as the reading of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. A light lunch featuring diverse cuisine, including sweet potato chips with okra salsa, will be served at a reception immediately following the program.
Brown County school children are once again participating in a poster/essay/poetry contest that shares this year’s theme. Contest winners will be announced at the celebration.
The celebration is being organized by representatives from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, United Hmong and Asian American Community Center, Green Bay Public Schools, Green Bay Press-Gazette, University of Wisconsin Green Bay Learning in Retirement, St. Norbert College, Northeast Wisconsin African American Association, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and community volunteers.
Major contributors of this event include Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Procter & Gamble, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and USBank. Additional support for the celebration has been provided by a variety of organizations that will be recognized during the celebration.
For more information about this event, call (920) 498-6997 or (920) 465-2029.