On January 19, winners of the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. art, speech and writing contests will be celebrated at the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at the Marcus Performing Arts Center at 929 N Water St. The contests invite young people in the community to submit their interpretation of Dr. King’s words.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “True Peace,” inspired by an article written by Dr. King in Christian Century, a weekly religious magazine. In an issue dedicated to race relations released on February 6, 1957, he wrote:
“True peace is not merely the absence of some negative force—tension, confusion or war; it is the presence of some positive force—justice, good will and brotherhood.”
Architects, interior designers, renovators and landscapers: Submit your best work for consideration!
Two special awards will also be presented at the event. The Rev. Joseph Ellwanger Social Justice Award will be presented to Andre Lee Ellis, artist and longtime community leader, in honor of his commitment to social justice and his service to the community via urban agriculture programs and cultural leadership.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educator of the Year Award will be awarded to Natalie Hilgers, Middle School English Teacher at Salam School. A full list of the winners of the student contests can be found on the event page.
Milwaukee is one of the only cities besides Atlanta to host an annual birthday celebration for Dr. King’s birthday, and they’ve been doing it since 1984. “We are honored to continue hosting this long-standing tradition that brings our community together to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy and elevate the voices and talents of Milwaukee’s youth,” stated MPAC President & CEO Kevin Giglinto.
During the event there will be remarks from elected officials as well as performances from I Bei Bambini, the Messmer High School Gospel Choir, Banat Al-Huriyah, and Paj Hnub Hli dance group from the Hmong American Friendship Association.
The city-wide event begins at 4:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The event will be held at Wilson Theatre in Vogel Hall.
