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State Capitol Hosts 36th Annual MLK Day Celebration

YWCA Every Town Girls Camp, Richard Davis Honored For Their Social Justice Work

By
Courtesy of Wisconsin Public Television

The state Capitol rotunda was transformed into a concert hall Monday afternoon for the 36th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.

Gov. Scott Walker was one of the many hundreds in attendance. “This, to our understanding, is the oldest and longest state celebration of any in the country, here in the state of Wisconsin,” he told the crowd at the beginning of the event.

In addition to musical performances, the 2016 Heritage Awards — honoring work in social justice — were presented. This years winners were the YWCA Every Town girls camp and the internationally celebrated musician Richard Davis.

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“I encourage you to think like the masterful personality of Martin Luther King,” Davis said as he accepted the award. “He was way ahead of us. He was far ahead. But he knew which way we should be directed toward.”

Similar celebrations were held across the state in Milwaukee, Green Bay and La Crosse.

You can watch the Wisconsin Public Television broadcast of the celebration below, or listen to the audio here.

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