The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan will host the 37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Celebration virtually on WILX-10 on Monday, January 17th, at 7:00 p.m. Cinnaire has been a longtime supporter of the Mid-Michigan MLK Commission, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy and teachings of Dr. King, supporting community agencies, and empowering youth to achieve educational outcomes. Their work – which aligns with Cinnaire’s unwavering belief that all people deserve the opportunities provided by living in healthy communities – is guided by Dr. King’s teachings and philosophy of love, tolerance, and nonviolence. Cinnaire CEO Mark McDaniel will serve for the sixth time as Honorary Chairperson for the celebration.
Cinnaire serves as a monumental partner for the commission, donating $50,000 annually to support the Mark S. McDaniel and James Butler college scholarship program. The competitive scholarship program is designed to inspire and empower high school students from all backgrounds to achieve higher education. Since it began, the program has provided over $225,000 in scholarships.
“Investing in education and creating opportunities for youth is a critical component of supporting healthy communities,” said Mark McDaniel, Cinnaire President, and CEO. “We are proud to supporting the Mid-Michigan MLK Commission and to continue our work together preserving the legacy of Dr. King and advancing social improvement in communities throughout Mid-Michigan.”
This year’s theme for the celebration is “in the long run, justice finally must spring from a new moral climate,” words written by Martin Luther King Jr. to President Eisenhower requesting federal assistance with school integration in Little Rock, Arkansas.
On September 4th, 1957, nine African American students enrolled at the formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their enrollment in the school was made possible because of the landmark Supreme Court ruling Brown vs. Board of Education declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The 37th Annual Mid-Michigan MLK Commission will celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine, with members Ernest Green, Carlotta Lanier, and Terrance Roberts.
Special Guests – Members of the Little Rock Nine
Carlotta Lanier
Ernest Green
Terrence Roberts
About Cinnaire
Cinnaire is a non-profit financial partner that supports community and economic revitalization initiatives through creative investments, loans, and development services. Since 1993, Cinnaire has invested $4.7 billion to develop 811 housing communities in 10 states, providing 49,700 affordable apartment homes for more than 100,000 individuals and families, and has provided community development loans to support the creation/retention of more than 187,000 square feet of commercial, mixed-use, and community space. In its mission to change lives and transform neighborhoods into thriving communities, Cinnaire has helped to create or retain over 76,000 jobs and spurt $7.9 billion in economic impact. www.cinnaire.com
