Gather in joyful community with us for our 27th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration this upcoming Monday, January 20th from 10 AM until 1:30 PM at the Powderhorn Park Recreation Center. This beloved community event is founded on honoring the life and legacy of MLK and propelling his teachings of equity and justice through community love and togetherness.
A free lunch will be catered by Chin Dian Kitchen, featuring a unique blend of Chinese and Indian cooking techniques with hints of Malaysian and Vietnamese flavors. Chicken tenders will also be available as a kid friendly option.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.
As the community settles in for lunch, Brass Solidarity will kick off the event with compelling performances to compliment the mouthwatering Chin Dian flavors. Brass Solidarity is a collective of musicians, activists, and community members using their sound as a voice for justice and a sonic occupation to dismantle white supremacy. They were birthed from the movement for Black Liberation in George Floyd square, meeting there weekly as a continuous offering to the community. The music is by the people and for the people as a passionate campaign to spread love, teach, and uplift BIPOC communities.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
Brass Solidarity is built from the tradition of resilience and community fortitude through music. For the past 5 years the collective perfected a curated repertoire of songs meant to uplift and inspire that can contribute to organizing spaces, events, and actions for justice in coordination with movement leadership. The members of Brass Solidarity come from a variety of musical backgrounds and are united in their dedication to using their talents to promote social justice and bring people together. We are honored to have them kick off our annual community celebration.
PPNA is thrilled to welcome lauded Worship Leader Monroe "Page" Page II to the stage to perform divine gospel music as our first performing solo artist for the afternoon. Monroe Page founded Ultimate Praisers of God U.P.G. Ministries, a ministry dedicated to spreading the greatness of God through the healing sounds of gospel choir.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.
Back by popular demand, award-winning spoken word artist and bestselling author Joe Davis will perform next using poetry to power possibility, diving deeper into authenticity and community. Joe Davis performed at our Southside Summit in November of 2024, empowering and inspiring our community with his words.
He is the founder and director of Finding Your Freedom Practice, teaching holistic health and wellness practices through spoken word, writing, music, theater, and dance. Joe holds a Master of Arts degree in Theology of the Arts and also heads a multimedia production company, a soul funk band, and a racial justice education program. His work has been featured on BET, CNN, and VH1. Based in Minneapolis, he tours internationally to join schools, faith spaces, nonprofits, and businesses to practice envisioning and embodying a world of collective liberation and human flourishing.
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Later, Mizz Mercedes & Rondo Double Dutch will spread LOVE, peace, and UNITY in community with an energetic performance.
In addition to live performances, we will have gift bags for kids, a short video in celebration of our vibrant community through the years, and a brief discussion of the emerging One South - A Project of Southside United Neighborhoods initiative. Alongside seven other neighborhood organizations, this initiative seeks to unlock a new era of collaboration that furthers efficacy, efficiency, and sustainability in how community-centered civic engagement will enliven South Minneapolis over the next few decades.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
Don’t miss this cherished celebration of love, interconnectedness and collective joy in the Powderhorn Park Recreation Center next Monday, January 20th, 2025 from 10 AM - 1:30 PM.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. From every mountainside, let freedom ring… Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last
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King, Martin Luther, Jr. “I Have A Dream’ Speech, In Its Entirety.” 28 Aug. 1963. Talk of the Nation. Hosted by Rebecca Toberts, NPR.org, 18 Jan. 2010, https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-dream-speech-in-its-entirety Audio and Transcript.
Editors: Kathleen W. & Venus Darling