Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration includes winners of our annual speech contest

Finalists presented speeches Dec. 6 at our Public Service Building.

Milwaukee hosts its 31^st Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Jan. 18 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. We’re been part of the event since its inception.

Part of the celebration features winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speech contest that we sponsor in December each year. Through this program, we strive to help strengthen the reading, writing and public speaking skills of Milwaukee students while encouraging them to learn about and support the hopes and dreams of Dr. King.

In the contest, Milwaukee schools first host competitions within their own schools, choosing the best to participate in a preliminary competition to determine five finalists in each of six grade categories – K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. Those finalists are part of the event we sponsor at our headquarters to select first-, second- and third-place winners in each grade category.

Marissa Robertson, first-place winner

in grade 11-12 competition.

Winners receive a medallion, plaque, gift cards and an appearance at this weekend’s celebration. As an added bonus, the Milwaukee Bucks are honoring the three winners in each division with a center-court appearance at the Jan. 19 game. Media opportunities also are extended to winners. Marissa Robertson, first-place winner in the grade 11-12 category recently was featured on Milwaukee Public Television’s Black Nouveau program: MPTV Black Nouveau (Robertson segments begins at 13:02)

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. contest is open to all students who live in Milwaukee as well as any students who attend Milwaukee public, private, charter or home schools. Visit our website for details: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest