City of Tacoma 33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration
The City of Tacoma honors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 18, 2021. Now in it's 33rd year, this year's theme is "Collective Voices/Collective Hope."
The annual celebration brings the Tacoma community together each year in rembrance to Dr. King and honor the individuals who work to keep his dream alive. Keynote speaker Dr. John “PUSH” Gaines is a professional speaker, author, leadership consultant, and mentorship expert who has devoted himself to the world community. His goal is to give hope to others because his own story grew from hopelessness; he believes in the power of perseverance and teaches others to “keep pushing” through life’s obstacles to become the best version of themselves. Growing up surrounded by drugs and violence, facing personal struggles, and being bullied for his differences, he had every reason to give up, but he pushed through.
2021 recipients of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards are:
Lifetime Service - Alicia Mathurin, Annie Wright Schools Director of Community Engagement and co-founder of Tacoma Community Market, featuring black-owned businesses.
Emerging Leader - Joy S. Wilde, 12-year old founder of www.storiesforequality.com and recipient of Seattle Mariners' 5-Year Scholarship for excellence in Softball Playing and school accomplishments.
Mayor Woodards' Special Recognition - Shalisa Hayes, Advocate for mothers who have lost children to violence, Tacoma activist and driving force behind bringing the Eastside Community Center to life.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the City of Tacoma will present a virtual format of the celebration that will be released on multiple platforms. TV Tacoma will premiere the program on Monday, January 18, 2021, at 8 PM. The program can be viewed online and streamed live on Facebook at facebook.com/cityoftacoma. It will also be played on TV Tacoma which is carried on both the Click! (via Rainier Connect) and Comcast Cable systems and replayed throughout January.