Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebrations
Join the Office of Diversity and Inclusion as we celebrate the various Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebrations in the City of Wichita! We are still working to solidify our events with our community sponsors.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - Eta Beta Lambda Chapter would like to invite everyone to attend the 4th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Program, featuring keynote speaker, Carl Brewer, former mayor for the City of Wichita and current candidate for governor in the State of Kansas. The theme is built around "A Birthday Celebration for a King!" This program will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 12 at Calvary Baptist Church (2653 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS 67219).
The Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM) will be conducting their 39th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Saturday, January 13 and encourages you to purchase your 2018 MLK button for just $3.00. You can purchase this button at TKAAM and any at the QuikTrip locations, located at Broadway and Kellogg, Douglas and Seneca, 9th Street and Broadway and Central and Oliver. Our office will be participating in the parade at 9:30 a.m. at the Christian Faith Centre (1130 S. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67211). We encourage those participating in the parade to wear your Shocker gear or student organization t-shirts and bring banners.
The following is a list of TKAAM events for the celebration on Saturday, January 13:
- 7-9 a.m. | Breakfast @ Christian Faith Centre (1130 S. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67211)
- 10-11 a.m. | City-wide Parade from the Christian Faith Centre to Chester Reflection Park (East of Douglas and Broadway). Contact the Christian Faith Center at (316) 682-3544 to register your organization/float.
- 11 a.m.-Noon | Community Service Activity at TKAAM (601 N. Water St., Wichita, KS 67203). Bring non-perishable food items to benefit the Church on the Street - a ministry focusing primarily on meeting the mental, physical and spiritual needs of our homeless brothers and sisters.
- 12:30-1:30 p.m. | Wiley College Scholarship Auditions - Appointment slots ONLY. Email Christyn Breathett, education director at TKAAM, at christyn.breathett@tkaamuseum.org to sign up.
- 6 p.m. | City-wide M.L.K. Program @ Saint Mark U.M.C. (1525 N. Lorraine, Wichita, KS 67214). Wiley College Choir is performing and TKAAM is honoring Gordon Ramsey, Deltha Colvin and David and Lynn Gilkey.
Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, January 15 by joining KWCH-TV 12's Angela Smith and the ARISE Ensemble for a breakfast tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and this year's Heroes and Sheroes Award honorees:
- The Greater Wichita Ministerial League
- St. James Episcopal Church
- Wil-Ken Enterprises
- Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas
- Carl Brewer
Also presenting the Dr. Evies Cranford-ARISE Rising Star Scholarship! Tickets are $30 in advance and tables start at $400. Contact (316) 685-0452 or (316) 681-0544 or email to scran50452@cox.net for more information.
Stop by our information table at The Greater Wichita Ministerial League's 2018 Martin Luther King, Jr. Worship Celebration: The Quest for Peace + Justice at noon on Monday, January 15 at Wichita State University's Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex (5015 E. 29th St. N., Wichita, KS 67220). The guest speaker is Grammy Award Winning Gospel Artist, Pastor Smokie Norful, from the Victory Cathedral Worship Center of Bolingbrook, IL.
Let us remember Dr. King's legacy by joining our office for the 10th annual Martin Luther King Unity Walk on Wednesday, January 17. The candlelight procession will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Red Bud Trail, located on the corner of 17th Street and Oliver Avenue. The walk will conclude at the Experiential Engineering Building, where the program will begin promptly at 6 p.m. This year's keynote speaker is Reverend LeSean Tarkington, who serves as the Sr. Minister at the Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. We will also be recognizing the 2018 Drum Major Award recipient.
Learn more about the various Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations in Wichita:
Drum Major Award
The person who receives the Drum Major Award seeks greatness, but does so through service and love. This award is given annually at the Martin Luther King Unity Walk.
An excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Drum Major Instinct speech states “If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice, say that I was a drum major for peace: I was a drum major for righteousness."
Click here to nominate a deserving individual today.
Learn more about Rocío Del Aguila
View past Drum Major Award recipients here.