There’s a lot of hate, ignorance, and stupidity floating around these days, which makes this day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all the more needed. Looking for something productive to do today, Milwaukee? Here are 9 ways to celebrate the life and legacy of a man who stood for anything but hate, ignorance, and stupidity.
23rd Annual MLK Celebration Breakfast @ Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Event Center (1721 W. Canal St.)
7:30 – 9 a.m.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee hosts this annual celebration, complete with a breakfast and awards ceremony. This year’s awards include the Healthy Living Award, the Social Responsibility Award, and the Youth Development Spoken Word Award.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration 2020 @ Martin Luther King Library (310 W. Locust St.)
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
A full day of programming kicks off at 9 a.m. with a host of family-friendly activities, followed at noon by music, dance, and much, much more. If you attend only one Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, make it this one. Here’s the itinerary:
MLK Day Family Morning of Service @ Bay View Community Center (1320 E. Oklahoma Ave.)
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Participants in the second annual MLK Day Family Morning of Service will make Valentine’s Day cards and gifts for seniors, as well as assemble feminine hygiene packs for local schools and organizations. Donations of individually wrapped pads and tampons, individually wrapped wipes, and travel hand sanitizer are encouraged. A soup lunch and a children’s open play round out the day.
Allied In The Fight: A Community Free Day @ Jewish Museum Milwaukee (1360 N. Prospect Ave.)
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Back on display for one day only, Jewish Museum Milwaukee’s traveling Allied In The Fight: Jews, Blacks And The Struggle For Civil Rights exhibit explores “the partnership between Jewish and African American leaders in confronting systematic racism in the United States.” In conjunction with Milwaukee Museum Week, Jewish Museum Milwaukee admission is free for all Milwaukee County residents.
Lunch & Learn: How We Can Answer Dr. King’s Call @ Jewish Museum Milwaukee (1360 N. Prospect Ave.)
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Also at Jewish Museum Milwaukee, museum members and non-members alike can enjoy a multimedia presentation entitled “Truth-Telling As Healing: How We Can Answer Dr. King’s Call.” (You’ll have to bring your own lunch, since registration has ended for the museum’s Kosher boxed lunches.)
King Day @ Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center (1531 W. Vliet St.)
noon – 2 p.m.
Music, spoken word, and a presentation from civil rights advocate Rev. Joseph Ellwanger highlight Dr. Martin Luther King Community Center’s annual celebration. An open house follows.
The Blood Is At The Doorstep Film and Discussion @ Waukesha Civic Theatre (264 W. Main St.)
6:30 p.m.
Adults and teens are invited to this free screening of The Blood Is At The Doorstep, the Milwaukee-made documentary that delves into the 2014 police shooting of Dontre Hamilton. Maria and Nate Hamilton, as well as Nurturing Diversity’s Reggie Jackson, will be on hand for a post-film discussion.
Living Out The Dream @ Eastbrook Church (5353 N. Green Bay Ave.)
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Eastbrook Church and Milwaukee Declaration host a city-wide choir built around the theme of “Living Out the Dream: Building Bridges to Racial Reconstruction Through our Love for God and our Neighbor.”
Youth Free Day @ Milwaukee museums
Milwaukee Museum Week kicks off with Youth Free Day. All children 18 and under can enjoy free admission to the following museums:
• Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
• Charles Allis Art Museum
• Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear
• Discovery World
• Grohmann Museum at MSOE
• Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University
• Harley-Davidson Museum
• Jewish Museum Milwaukee
• Milwaukee County Historical Society
• Milwaukee Public Museum
• Mitchell Park Domes
• North Point Lighthouse
• The Pabst Mansion
• The Warehouse
• Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
• Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum