<html><body><p><strong>Press Advisory – For Immediate Release </strong></p>
<p><strong>Missoula’s Annual MLK Jr. Day Community Celebration </strong></p>
<p><strong>When: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monday, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">January 16th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ; 5:50 PM - 8:00 PM </span></p>
<p><strong>Where: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Anthony Catholic Church, 217 Tremont St. Missoula MT. (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The event will also be streamed live on youtube, and Facebook via MCAT on </span></em><strong><em>January 16th, 2022.) </em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Contact: </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">EmpowerMT at 406-541-6891 or email </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">info@empowermt.org</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You can also visit our website </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.empowermt.org/community/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-missoula-community-celebration/</span></p>
<p><strong>Missoula, MT </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">-</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">On January 16</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">th</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, 2023, Missoula’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will honor the life and legacy</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Dr. King by engaging our community in dialogue about race and justice through an in-person</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">intergenerational celebration held at St. Anthony Catholic Church from (6:00 pm-8:00 pm) with a community social after. This event will feature leaders for racial justice, our annual Youth Art &</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Essay Contest inspired by an MLK quote, music performed by local artists</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and calls to action from local youth leaders. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our Keynote Speaker will be Akilah Deernose, an Attorney for ACLU Montana. Akilah is passionate about building an inclusive community centered on the awareness of social justice issues and is dedicated to ensuring meaningful access to opportunity, justice, and equal rights.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. King remains a central figure in our nation’s ongoing dialogue</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">on race and equality. Through service, action, lecture, and art,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the Missoula </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration examines the legacy of</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr. King, racial equity issues locally and nationally, and ways to</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">bridge divides and resolve differences</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This event Emcee will be Ja’Ton Simpson and will </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">feature the annual MLK Jr.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Y</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">outh Art & Essay Contest</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">winners, music from local artists</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elijah</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jalil Paz</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fisher, Andre Floyd, R’Know, and Grace Mussiwa Muwingwa; spoken word by Ja’Ton Simpson, and a MLK history and recognition from Murray Pierce. Youth Keynote Speaker Lizzie Mills-Low will lead the youth call to action</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">and share their perspective on Dr. King’s quote, </span><strong>“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">These youth leaders will allow us to reflect on our intersectionality and the complexity of our identity within society. The event will help us resonate with Dr. King’s teachings and the issues we face right here in Missoula and across Montana. This year the Missoula MLK Day’s sponsors are EmpowerMT; Missoula Black Collective; Walla Walla University; Montana Ace Hardware; Missoulian; University of Montana; YWCA Missoula; Roxy Theatre ; All Smiles; Bill Schwanke; Black Coffee Roasting Company; Green Source; Emmaus Campus Ministry; First Presbyterian Church; MCAT; Maclay Ranch, and Art & Image Design. The Missoula MLK Planning Committee includes Ivy Anderson, John Lund, Loni Neilson-Kattell, Murray Pierce, Tobin Miller Shearer, Paul Reneau, Dexter Royes, Rajiem Seabrook, Ja’ton Simpson, Heidi Wallace, and Chris Young-Greer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The theme</span><strong> </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">of this year’s MLK Jr. Day Community Celebration is Dr. King’s quote, </span><strong>“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thank you for helping get the word out about this annual Missoula event!</span></p><img width="1px" height="1px" alt="" src="https://email.mg2.lglcrm.net/o/eJxdjkuOwyAQRE9jdrGg6SawYBPlHhbmN2gMlvzRKLcfkiib1KZKLfXTi1aoq0QlEYAFGx0mBaxY4CC56NGk6DoalQzXahYUgvFSDshrhnHJi9_q2OLB-pyqK0tpeSphoNtAd_ssACJtEProJ7bZWvZ9PRd38WutZyvH49Li396Rc8n776PTxnXL7LDO-_VsxyQItGI_liAJQolmTp5kiArRJ26E0zyi9-kl8Xn6kngx3g7_i7JHWw"></body></html>