<html><body><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-72193bdf-7fff-bd9c-3741-e28a33fcbab6"><span><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NgNiZI-mzMFpFWFHTOr8UfGETPuxRyM8gAIV8463N4f3zzhIEpZpohArW7hBQNXD-O6mRg99Vt0P3NHKxjdQdYL_V-OdazRZYH1QScobQc2BH6ogNP8INA8NA3xHAf1hobyIlniM" border="0" width="107" height="107" /></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-de71771d-7fff-2f4d-5edb-b923d65061e5"><span><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yuhaqEH3npKznTjHS8YSN3OY2vccqkMCcE6MFwDPJP7k0PoXw6cukCctU1JWsNNWuMERhxDYD4KWYY1nIgT-xZqcyosaexyhuWCwrcqmbBGR1PBz8piP0Qpmc617TdLNUudjaoq1" border="0" width="387" height="137" /></span></span></p>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>Press Advisory – For Immediate Release</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Missoula’s Annual MLK Jr. Day Community Celebration</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>When: </strong><span>Monday, </span><span> January 18</span><span><span>th</span></span><span>, 2021</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>5:50 PM - 8:00 PM</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Where: </strong><span>This virtual event will be streamed live on Zoom, youtube and Facebook on </span><span>January 18th, 2021. </span><span><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><strong>Contact:</strong> </span><span> </span><span>EmpowerMT at 406-541-6891 or email </span><a href="mailto:info@empowermt.org"><span>info@empowermt.org</span></a><span>. You can also visit our website </span><a href="http://email.mg2.lglcrm.net/c/eJxdjt2KwyAQhZ8m3lV0_Em88KIl7WsEY1wrG2OJBunbr-3Sm8LAHA5n5nyLdob_SEBBAwFKKKVAiBAKU3ylSsHtCoxfehiHseMkesCrX-0e8eYKanKKJqxh81NYOnHpxKhfC0AwxQU00Sy06nspj9yxcwe3NrVW7OIjVbfHgtPum4d2HUPO6VjNyaYYjy2U52lzNbfeOfj8-2yVrzAq2libjq1MVMAg0V1LJfteuXl2UvJh5osFtgzGMYAemCRv0s_RF-n7xz_oH9VyUB0"><span>https://www.empowermt.org/</span></a><span> under community, MLK Day community celebration.</span></p>
<p><strong>Pre-event & event press availability:</strong> MLK Day Committee Members are available to be interviewed the week prior to the event. Press is also welcome at all MLK Day events. PLEASE schedule interviews in advance. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Missoula, MT</span><span> - </span><span>On January 18</span><span><span>th</span></span><span>, 2021 the MLK Day Celebration will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King by engaging our community in dialogue about race and justice through a virtual Intergenerational and community-led celebration; c</span><span>losed captioning will be available</span><span>. Opening with a </span><span>Land Acknowledgment </span><span>led by</span><span>Arleen Adams & Casey Ryan and a </span><span>MLK Jr. Day History and recognition </span><span> led by Murray Pierce, this event will </span><span> feature our </span><span>annual Youth Art & Essay Contest</span><span> winners, </span><span>a keynote address</span><span> from Dr. Carlton P. Byrd (pastor, professor, and civil rights activist), our</span><span> local artists </span><span>Shawn White Grass & Brittney Hunter (performing together), Andre Floyd & Jeremiah Coutts (performing together), and Elijah</span><span>Jalil Paz</span><span> Fisher, as well as calls to action from</span><span> local youth leaders.</span><span> </span><span>Samantha Francine</span><span> and Lizzie Mills-Low will speak on their experiences, intersectionality, and how they are so much more than one part of their identity. These youth leaders will allow us to reflect on our own intersectionality and the complexity of our identity within society. The event will help us resonate with Dr. King’s teachings with issues we are facing right here in Missoula and across Montana. This year the Missoula MLK Day’s sponsors consist of: EmpowerMT, Walla Walla University - Missoula campus, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Emmaus Campus ministry, All Nations Health Center, the University of Montana, YWCA of Missoula, Soft Landings, Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, First United Methodist, UCC Missoula, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Clark Fork Coalition, Missoula Community Regional Ministry, and Atonement Lutheran Church. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The theme </span><span>of this year’s MLK Jr. Day Community Celebration is based on two of Dr. King’s quotes, ““</span><span>And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? ... It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.” </span><span>and </span><span>“T</span><span>he whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” </span><span> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span> <strong>Additional Events include:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr"><span>"Back Then They Didn't Want Me: A Look at Maligned, Misused, and Misremembered African American Activists." </span><span>UM's MLK, Jr., Day address, Thursday, January 14, 2021, 4-5:15 pm. To view, visit </span>http://hs.umt.edu/aas/stories-folder/sanders-mlktalk.php</p>
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<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr"><span>Walla Walla University - Missoula Campus: Dr. Walton Rose will be a guest for the MLK Jr. Event </span><span>on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at 11:30 AM</span><span> live on Zoom. For more information, visit </span><a href="http://email.mg2.lglcrm.net/c/eJxdjkGOwyAMRU8DuyIwIYUFi1ZprxFRIARNIKNApurtSzqazUiW_GX7-z-nvemmHnDUQIFRxhhQKoQijNyYUnC_Ae-uZxjkgDqaApAlLHZLJPuKmxyTiUvMYYwOiSsSgz4agOCqE9BEG-FFz7V-I35BcG-VDr9xPz7XWKqd983OZN1CW-FNp1jKui_mZNeU9hzr65T9s7T0Rwzl69WCj2NctbF23XMdmQDZ41krN3EmH73lEiRnpufdWRrlnLXOTl5-eP9M_3g_P35x3w9zUyY"><span>MCRM.adventistchurch.org</span></a></p>
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<p><br /> <br /><br /></p><img width="1px" height="1px" alt="" src="http://email.mg2.lglcrm.net/o/eJxdjssOwiAURL-m7CTcWy6WBZum-hsNpYjEQpM-Yvx7scaNq5lMMidnNN7Km0IWDQoEAQAoBJHmwC-gNV4vWMv2jF3TVVKkgHwKk1sSz35jpfbJxinm0MexoraiznwCkWotCUspE1tMius675M9uTmlPcftdcr-uRbkEMP6eBUan5fANmOdm_e89UDYKHY3IyA1evS1s0p7a8kPWknloEFl6SwOid_pT-JgfB3eyptEHA"></body></html>