City Invites Public to Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Bloomington, Ind. – Mayor John Hamilton invites the community to attend the 2016 City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration. The event takes place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 18 in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The Celebration will be preceded by a reception, also at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, at 6 p.m.
The 7 p.m. event will include remarks by Hamilton and King Commission Chair Nicole Griffin, among others.
The keynote speaker is Brittany Packnett, who will speak on “Addressing Issues of Racial and Economic Inequality.†Brittany Packnett currently serves as executive director for Teach for America in St. Louis. In 2014, Brittany was appointed to the Ferguson Commission and President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. She’s been named one of TIME magazine’s 12 New Faces of Black Leadership and, with DeRay McKesson, awarded the Peter Jennings Award for Civic Leadership.
Musical performers will include the Indiana University African American Choral Ensemble, directed by Dr. Raymond Wise, and the University Elementary School Choir, directed by Maggie Olivo. Volunteers who participated in "A Day ON! Not A Day Off" will be recognized, and winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award will be announced. Â Attendees also will be offered the opportunity to take the "40 Days of Peace" pledge.
The reception at 6 p.m. will feature light refreshments provided by One World Catering & Events. The Buskirk-Chumley Theater program and reception are both free and open to the public.
Major event underwriters include the City of Bloomington, Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University, Stephens Honda-Hyundai and WFIU. Event sponsors include Griffin Realty, the IU Credit Union and United Way of Monroe County.
