Page 32 - MLK 2022 Booklet

The City of East Lansing

Dear Friends, January 17, 2022

On behalf of the City of East Lansing, I am honored to welcome
you to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid
Michigan’s Annual Day of Celebration, celebrating the life and
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This year’s gathering of distinguished individuals from throughout
th
the region will recognize the 65 anniversary of the Little Rock
Crisis that mobilized a nation to ensure access to quality
education. The celebration will also reflect upon the 2022 theme:
“In the long run, justice finally must spring from a new moral climate.”

This year’s program will feature four truly special guest speakers: Ernest Green,
Carlotta Walls LaNier, Dr. Terrance Roberts and Minnijean Brown Trickey. Our
esteemed guests were four of the brave nine students, known as the Little Rock Nine,
who volunteered in 1957 to desegregate one of the nation’s largest all-white high
schools. Their courageous actions tested the strength of the 1954 unanimous Supreme
Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education that declared segregation in public schools
unconstitutional. What an honor it is to be able to hear from these inspirational leaders
who embody true bravery and have played such pivotal roles in our nation’s history.

Each year, the MLK Luncheon helps us pay tribute to one of America’s greatest Civil
Rights leaders and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. The event also continues to
inspire attendees to begin a new year dedicated to service and outreach to individuals
in need in our community, while also continuing to strive for equality for all people. Now,
more than ever, that renewed since of service and outreach is so important. I would like
to thank the MLK Commission for the work they do to host this event each year and
would also like to thank everyone tuning in today. I’m truly honored to be a part of it.

In Friendship,

is a proud supporter of the 37th Annual
MLK Day of Celebration

Mayor Ron Bacon, Mayor Pro Tem Jessy Gregg, Councilmember Dana Watson,
Ron Bacon Councilmember Lisa Babcock, Councilmember George Brookover
Mayor, City of East Lansing

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