Schedule

• 5:15 pm - 5:45 pm - Freedom Songs Singalong
• 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - Program

The King Coalition is excited to welcome Donzaleigh Abernathy to Madison as the keynote speaker and return back to an in-person event again at the Overture Center in downtown Madison. Ms. Abernathy is the Goddaughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Daughter of Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and an award-winning actress and writer. She was born in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement as her Father and his best friend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., established the nonviolent social movement which changed the course of American History. Her life began with the bombing of her parent’s home and her Father’s First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Telisa Yancy, President of American Family Insurance, will be the MC for this year’s observance. This annual observance includes the presentation of the MLK Humanitarian Award by City of Madison Mayor, Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. Noted musician Leotha Stanley will again lead the MLK Community Choir. Jewish Federation of Madison Executive Director Alan Klugman will give the invocation.

Click here for more details about this event and the keynote speaker.

The program will also be livestreamed on Madison City Channel and broadcast on WORT 89.9 FM.

This event is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Madison and is the capstone of a series of events hosted by the King Coalition to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

More King Coalition Events

• MLK Day Youth Call to Service
  Monday, January 16  from 11:30 am - 4:45 pm
• MLK Ecumenical Service
  Sunday, January 15 from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Click here for a listing with details of these and other MLK Day events hosted by the King Coalition and other community groups.

About The King Coalition
The King Coalition was established in the fall of 1985 as a community group to plan the official City of Madison and Dane County observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The planning of this holiday celebration takes on special significance as people from all walks of life gather in the spirit of true brotherhood and sisterhood to commemorate the life and accomplishments of this renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement. The Coalition consists of representatives from religious communities, organized labor, the UW-Madison, public schools, peace groups, service organizations, and city and county government. Other individuals have joined because of their personal commitment to equal rights and justice for all people.