By Carolyn Desrosiers, Director of Community Engagement

Despite it being one of the coldest days so far this winter, on January 20th, the warmth of community, hope, and voices raised in song radiated from the Lawrence Memorial Chapel in Appleton. It was the 34th annual Fox Cities Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, and more than 350 people braved the cold to keep this beloved tradition alive. 

Keynote speaker Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly

The event, which celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. King, featured keynote speaker Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly of Wayne State University, who spoke on the theme, “The Arc of Justice,”, tracing varying perspectives of Dr. King both before and after his untimely death. Dr. Burden-Stelley emphasized the importance of centering love in social justice efforts.  

Student speaker Evy Rattray

Youth speaker Evangelina Rattray, a scholar with the Students on Target to Achieve Results (STAR) program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley and runner-up for the Club’s 2024 Youth of the Year award, read excerpts from Dr. King’s 1965 speech Our God is Marching On in which he famously said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

New to the event this year were performances by K-3rd grade students of the Ọmọladé  Academy, a charter school within the Appleton Area School District, and the first-ever Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir, singing alongside talented music students from Lawrence University.  

Two local nonprofit leaders were honored at the event for their impactful work in the community.  

Pastor Mahni Williams receiving the Jane LaChapelle McCarty MLK Community Leader Award

Pastor Mahni Williams, Executive Director of B.A.B.E.S Inc. Child Abuse Prevention Program received the Jane LaChapelle McCarty MLK Community Leader Award for her unwavering dedication. And Dr. Omobolade (Bola) Delano-Oriaran, co-founder of African Heritage Inc., and Dean of Health & Human Services at St. Norbert College, was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educator Award for the many educational endeavors of African Heritage over the years, and notably for founding the Ọmọladé Academy in 2024. 

The event came to a joyful conclusion as all performers returned to the stage to lead the audience in an inspiring rendition of Bill Withers’ Lean on Me, reminding one another that, “we all need somebody to lean on.”      

Celebration committee

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region was proud to sponsor this event with a grant from our Community Vision Fund, alongside co-sponsors Appleton Area School District, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley, Celebrate Diversity Fox Cities, City of Appleton, ESTHER, Lawrence University, People of Progression, ThedaCare, and United Way Fox Cities.