What is Your Dream? Commemorating Martin Luther King in Appleton
Residents in the Fox Cities commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a celebration at Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Pictured from left to right: Pastor G.A. Manns (top left), Dr. Bola Delano-Oriaran and Vivenne Hotien (bottom left), Brienne Colston, Tony Gonzalez, Rev. Roger Bertschausen, Kathy Flores and Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings (top middle), Dr. Sabrina Robins (bottom middle) and Nicholas Hoffman (top right).
Contributor: Peter C. Kelly, President and CEO at United Way Fox Cities and Nanci Micke, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at United Way Fox Cities
On Monday, the nation observed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. For me, one of the most enduring memories of Dr. King is his August 1963 I Have a Dream speech. This charismatic civil rights leader spoke of his vision for a country that would honor the words in the preamble of our Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.”
What is most moving about Dr. King’s speech is the passion and vision he created for his dream. He shared his dream with 250,000 people that day. His dream inspired men and women of all ages, colors, and backgrounds to take action and strive for something they believed in.
What is your dream? What are you willing to stand up for and proclaim as your vision for a better tomorrow? As the New Year dawns, perhaps we should make a resolution to dream more. For, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
The message above from Peter Kelly captures the spirit of hope and passion for our dreams for this community. On Monday evening the community commemorated Dr. King's dreams at the 24th Anniversary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The free community event featured keynote speaker Gloria Ladson-Billings, Ph.D. from the Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education and University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as music and essay contest winners from local schools.
This celebration offers the opportunity to join hands and sing together after an evening of uplifting messages and a call to action to be a force for positive change. United Way is truly proud to be one of the sponsors of this event.
View more photos from the event.
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