The 39th annual Madison-Dane County MLK Day Observance will be held on Monday, January 15, 2024 at the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street in downtown Madison.
- 5:00 pm - Freedom Songs Sing-Along
- 6:00 pm - MLK Day Observance Program
The King Coalition is excited to welcome keynote speaker - Terrence Roberts - who made history as one of the “Little Rock Nine.” The program will also feature the MLK Community Choir and a presentation of the 2024 MLK Humanitarian Awards by Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi.
About Terrence Roberts
Terrence Roberts attended segregated elementary, junior, and high schools until 1957 when he volunteered to help desegregate Little Rock Central High School. The Arkansas National Guard and an angry mob of 400 people stopped his first attempt to enter the school. A second attempt several weeks later was met with a mob that had grown to 1,000 people. The next day, President Dwight Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas National Guard and dispatched members of the 101st Airborne Division to accompany the students to school for the remainder of the year. Dr. Roberts went on to a successful academic career that included earning a Ph.D. President Bill Clinton awarded him and the other Little Rock Nine the Congressional Gold Medal.
There is no cost to attend.
The Jewish Federation of Madison is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of this event, the capstone of a series of events hosted by the King Coalition to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
See more event & coalition details >
Additional King Coalition MLK Weekend Events
MLK Ecumenical Service
January 14, 2024, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Fountain of Life Church
MLK Youth Call To Service
January 15, 2024, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Madison Central Library