MLK JR. HOLIDAY COMMITTEE PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

El Paso County MLK Jr. Holiday Committee
Jennifer Marie Barber, Chair
(719) 660-1435 cell
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“CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME”
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Friday, January 15, 2010

The El Paso County Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Committee is pleased to announce that its annual march and celebration will take place Saturday, January 16th 2010 beginning at Colorado College’s Armstrong Hall which is located at 14 E. Cache La Poudre on the northeast corner of Cache LaPoudre and Cascade.

The Honorable Terrance Carroll, Colorado Speaker of the House of Representatives will be the keynote speaker addressing this year’s theme: “Change Begins With Me”.

Participants are asked to meet in the lobby of Armstrong Hall no later than 3:30 to hear Speaker Carroll’s words of wisdom before lining up for the annual march. The march will leave Armstrong Hall, line up on Cache La Poudre, proceed south on Tejon to Platte and turn around and head north on Tejon back to Armstrong Hall where the celebration will continue.

The focus on change and King’s dream to educate all youth coincides with the Educating Children of Color Conference which precedes the march. The Children’s Chorale, the Conservatory, Palmer High School band students and youth poets will all focus our attention on the many blessings that our youth bring to us when they are mentored, educated and encouraged to excel.

The 2010 Citizen of the Year award will be presented to Colorado Technical University’s President, Mr. Greg Mitchell for his continuous efforts in the area of diversity and inclusion, not just at the university, but throughout the Pikes Peak region.

The annual march is a celebration of Dr. King’s birthday and a reminder that while he had a dream, and at times it appears that we are much closer than ever to living that dream, we still have much work to do to overcome the challenges in the areas of education, healthcare, housing, employment and eradicating the ills of racism and discrimination.

We encourage you, your family and your colleagues to bring your organization’s banner and to join us in our annual MLK Jr. march and celebration.