January 16th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Justice Program and March

Update 1/19:  The Torch Has Passed to a New Generation by Gregory Stanford/Inside Milwaukee
Update 1/17:  Photos from the Event

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Program and March will be held on Monday, Jan. 16 - the national holiday - at 1:00 pm at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1927 N. 4th St.

The commemorative program will be followed at 2:30 pm by a four block march to Dr. King's statue on M. L. King Drive, just north of Walnut St., where there will be an open microphone to reflect on Dr. King's work.

The event will focus on the message of Dr. King toward the end of his life when he strongly confronted not only racism, but also poverty and economic injustice. Milwaukee civil rights leader Fr. James Groppi will be commemorated and civil rights activist Fr. Matthew Gottschalk will be honored. The program will include singers Dorothy Jackson and Michaela Usher and Milwaukee actor Andre Lee Ellis.

The event is sponsored by the Milwaukee Justice Coalition. The coalition has come together annually for this event for the past 10 years and includes grassroots groups working on issues of poverty, homelessness, economic justice and peace.

This year’s coalition includes St. Francis Church, Peace Action Wis., Repairers of the Breach, Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Veterans for Peace, Vets Place Central, Welfare Warriors, Greater Milwaukee Green Party, Welfare Warriors, Injured Workers Center, Greater Milwaukee Human Rights Network, Voces de la Frontera, Benedict Center, Summer of Peace, Milwaukee Branch Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and Urban Underground.

Contacts:

Julie Enslow 414-964-9478

George Martin 414-745-5740