Marcus Center announces winners of annual MLK Day contests

In advance of its 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration on Jan. 20, the Marcus Performing Arts Center announced the contest winners who will take the stage as part of the event.

The organization honored 49 recipients from schools throughout the area in the categories of art, speech and writing (full list below). Their task was to create around the theme of “What Are You Doing for Others?” — a question Dr. King posed in a sermon titled “Three Dimensions of a Complete Life”:

Light has come into the world, and every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?

In addition to recognizing the contest winners, the celebration’s full program will bring in a variety of special guests, performances and other awards:

• The Milwaukee High School of the Arts Vocal Jazz Ensemble
• The Riverside Brass Ensemble from Riverside University High School
• Paj Hnub Hli dance group from the Hmong American Friendship Association
• A presentation of the Rev. Joseph Ellwanger Social Justice Award to Eddie and Mary Sue Short
• A presentation of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educator of the Year Award to Rakia Jones, fifth-grade teacher at Samuel Clemens School
• Remarks from elected officials and other community leaders

The event, which starts at 4 p.m. and is free to the public, got its start in 1984 and — along with Atlanta — is one of the only cities in the United States to host an annual celebration in honor of Dr. King’s birthday. For more information, visit the Marcus Center website.

Marcus Center MLK Day contest winners

Art contest
Grades K-2 

1. Kaia Plautz – MacDowell Montessori School 
2. Grant Grabowski – MacDowell Montessori School
3. Pamela Greer – MacDowell Montessori School 

Grades 3-5 

1. Kyrie Barnes – Samuel Clemens School 
2. Chad Roy-Johnson – Samuel Clemens School  
3. Heaven Patton – Samuel Clemens School 

Grades 6-8 

1. Lucia Lamers – Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts 
2. Noemi Cruz-Gutierrez – Wedgewood Park International School 
3. Mason Joseph – Wedgewood Park International School 

Grades 9-12 

1. Olivia Copp – St. Thomas More High School 
2. Karina Vanegas-Valdespino – Riverside University High School 
3. Alexis Frazier-Jasper – MacDowell Montessori School

Speech Contest
Grades K-2 

1. Josie Evans – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School 
2. Dayon Robinson – Sherman Multicultural Arts School
3. Christopher Lundman – Eastbrook Academy

Grades 3-4

1. Eddie Smith – Craig Montessori School
2. Mason Walker – Eastbrook Academy
3. Oumalkaire Osman – Zablocki School

Grades 5-6

1. Chad Roy-Johnson – Samuel Clemens School
2. Renad Kabashi – Golda Meir School
3. Nur Zahirah Abu Tahir – Victory School

Grades 7-8 

1. Titania McHenry – Fernwood Montessori School
2. Justin Eiland – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School
3. Carneshia Louis – Green Tree Preparatory Academy

Grades 9-10

1. Dahlia Santiago – Golda Meir School
2. Praise Ayodabo – Eastbrook Academy
3. Taniyah Purifoy – Riverside University High School

Grades 11-12

1. Leah Serdynski – Wisconsin Connections Academy
2. Sage Marshall – Eastbrook Academy
3. Joelle Askew – Golda Meir School 

Writing Contest
Grades K-1
Sherman Multicultural Arts School

• Teachers: Lori Carmichael and Lynn Beaudoin
• Students: Brooklyn Atkins, Draya Bacon-Howell, Nygel Blount, Ka’Naisa Brown, Lakyrah Campbell, Camryn Dawson, Deovyon Harwell, Narriah Hinton, Mister Madison, Jaiden Ousley-Edwards, Dayon Robinson, Aubriell Smith, Amara Thao, Ray’Mel Thomas, Morris Webster, Anmani Wiley, Skylah Wills-McNeal, Pharoahaudry Wise, Royce York 

Grades 2-3

1. Leanna Mitchell – Samuel Clemens School
2. Journey Durr-Green – Richard Kluge School
3. Thway LaMin – Richard Kluge School 

Grades 4-5

1. Malayshia Riser – Samuel Clemens School
2. Lailah Brown-Stephens – Golda Meir School
3. Kyrie Barnes – Samuel Clemens School  

Grade 6

1. Renad Kabashi – Golda Meir School
2. Ruth Omoruyi – Eastbrook Academy
3. Celeste Ziegler – Fernwood Montessori School 

Grades 7-8

1. Yasmeen Zeriouh – Salam School
2. Jasimah Kobir Ahmad – Salam School
3. Maha Awawda – Salam School 

Grades 9-10

1. Eternity Hopper – Milwaukee High School of the Arts
2. Dimieria Johnson – Riverside University High School
3. Ammarie Teague – Riverside University High School 

Grades 11-12

1. Calvin Vang – Golda Meir School 
2. La’Zerious Hunt – Golda Meir School 
3. Kaleb Colbert – Golda Meir School