Join us this Monday, January 17, when WORT will feature several special broadcasts honoring the life and work of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
12-1pm: 41st Annual State Of Wisconsin Tribute & Ceremony
At noon, join WORT for the State of Wisconsin Tribute and Ceremony honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Because this year’s live celebration in the State Capitol was cancelled due to COVID-19, this will be an encore presentation from 2021, featuring past performances by students from James C. Wright Middle School in Madison and Chicago’s GMAC Mass Choir, remarks by Gov. Tony Evers, and a keynote address by author Michelle Alexander.
WORT thanks Wisconsin Public Radio and Dr. Jonathan Overby for their assistance in airing this tribute.
1-2pm: King’s Last March from American RadioWorks
At one, join us for a documentary of Dr. King’s last march, from American RadioWorks. Using archival audio, compelling interviews, and a rich array of King recordings, this radio documentary illuminates the profound personal, psychological and philosophical challenges King faced in his last year of his life. In this time, King tried to gain support for his Poor People’s Campaign, fended off fierce critics inside and outside the civil rights movement, and endured an increasing sense of despair and isolation.
King’s Last March offers listeners a complex view of a man trying to push his philosophy of non-violence to a conclusion many people found more threatening than the dream he described on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial five years before his death.
6-7pm: 37th Madison/Dane County King Holiday Observance
At six, WORT will air the 37th Annual Madison/Dane County King Holiday Observance, presented by the Madison/Dane County King Coalition. Tune in for performances by the MLK Community Choir, led by noted musician Leotha Stanley, a presentation of the MLK Humanitarian Award, and a keynote speech from Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X and award-winning author, educator, and producer.
The winners of this year’s MLK Humanitarian Award are Will Green, founder of Mentoring Positives, Inc., a mentoring program working with youth in the Madison community; Vanessa McDowell, CEO of the YWCA Madison; and Michael Johnson, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County.
This year, the program will also be livestreamed. Watch and find additional MLK Day events hosted by the King Coalition and other community groups at mlkingcoalition.org.
WORT thanks the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition with their assistance in airing this event. Our additional thanks to Dr. Elton Crim, Jr. for publicity assistance.