Milwaukee Public Schools students should get ready to enter the art, speech, and writing competitions that are part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration. The program is open to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Winners will be recognized during the virtual celebration on January 17, 2021.

Next year’s celebration will be the 36th annual event hosted in our community. Milwaukee is one of only two cities that have celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. annually since 1984.

Students should begin planning their entries to reflect the theme for 2021: Keep Moving Forward. These words were chosen from King’s address given at Spelman College on April 10, 1960. In their entries, students should reflect on this theme and how it relates to themselves or their families, schools, neighborhoods, or world.

The art, speech, and writing contests are open to students who live in the city of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, or West Bend or are enrolled in a public or private school within the city of Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, or West Bend.

Entries in the writing contest must be submitted by 5:00 P.M. on Monday, November 16, 2020.

Entries in the art and speech contests must be submitted by 5:00 P.M. on Friday, November 20, 2020.

To read more about this celebration and to find the complete rules for the art, speech, and writing contests, visit the MLK Birthday Celebration page on the Marcus Performing Arts Center website.