“Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” will be the theme of the 13th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Monday, January 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lawrence University Memorial Chapel. The celebration, which is free and open to the public, is co-sponsored by Toward Community: Unity in Diversity and Lawrence University.
“The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is an opportunity for both the Lawrence and surrounding communities to honor the work of Dr. King and to collectively share in the understanding of the challenges we face today,” said Rod Bradley, assistant dean of students for multicultural affairs. “The celebration highlights the importance of awareness, commitment and diversity as we strive to help improve human rights and civic engagement.”
Eugene Kane, a long-time columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will deliver the celebration’s keynote address. A native of Philadelphia, Kane is a graduate of Temple University and a former John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University. His thrice-a-week column has been recognized with several national and local journalism awards, including the National Headliner Award, the Sigma Delta Chi Award and the National Association of Black Journalists Award.
In addition to Kane’s address, singer Ken Daniel, a 1991 Lawrence graduate, will perform during the celebration. Daniel, who has toured nationally and performed locally numerous times, directs a music ministry in the Milwaukee area that administers through heartfelt songs of worship, praise and thanksgiving.
Toward Community will present its annual Jane LaChapelle McCarty Unity in Diversity Award to an area individual who has made great strides in bringing different people in the community together.
The celebration also will include winning essays written and read by area youth who reflected on Dr. King’s dream and the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the African American national anthem, will be sung. The celebration will conclude with a reception for all in attendance.
In keeping with the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, members of the Lawrence community will be participating in a variety of volunteer opportunities in the area, including Pioneer Village, a retirement living facility, the Salvation Army and the Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley, Inc..
