About 160 people attended the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day community celebration Monday at First Presbyterian Church in Shawano.
The event, which featured five musicians with Shawano area ties, encouraged the community to reflect on King’s accomplishments and the work that needs to be done in the future.
“Some of you are here for the vision of Martin Luther King, and some of you know that racism is still very real in this day and age, and it is something that we have yet to overcome,” Pastor Susan Phillips said.
Phillips noted it was the 30th anniversary of the federal government proclaiming Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday and the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, which led to passage of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
“It is a beautiful thing that we have all of our community come together in one place and celebrate one another’s humanity and the value of each person present,” Phillips said.
Phillips also read excerpts from essays King wrote while serving time in an Alabama jail. The essays, which were distributed to pastors throughout the South, discussed nonviolent and direct action against unjust laws, voter rights, segregation and being part of the solution.
Wade Fernandez, who performed at the celebration, was a keynote speaker at the church’s MLK event about five years ago.
The 46-year-old musician from Keshena said he was happy to return, to reflect on the progress made and on King’s achievements.
“It is a good day to think about everybody, and think about how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go,” Fernandez said. “There are a number of things that have progressed since Martin Luther King, and there is so much more to be done, and it is a good day to remember what has been done.
“It is about finding solutions to work together and come together. When I was at this celebration here, it was very powerful, and any time we come together for a good cause, it is a powerful moment.”
Other performers at the celebration were Skip Jones, Clinton Miller, Dorothy Zerbe and Fernandez’s son, Quentin.
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