Community honors Martin Luther King Jr.

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Local dignitaries and attendees sing “We Shall Overcome” during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Sunday. The event was hosted by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Local Host Committee.

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After a pause due to the pandemic, the community celebration in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. returned to Madera Unified at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.

In partnership with the Martin Luther King Jr. Local Host Committee, the event brought dozens to the campus to honor the legacy of King. 

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School Choir provided music for the event.

Speakers from Madera County Schools Stella Jain, Manuel Hernandez-Antonio and Ka’Niya Johnson-Hatcher — were introduced by Madera County Superintendent of Schools Cecilia Massetti. The students were selected after entering a contest and each received a cash award from the MLK Local Host Committee.

Keynote speakers for the event included Prince Marshall, Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services for the Madera Unified School District and Ronda Vaughn, Lead Safety Officer at Madera South High School. 

The annual Humanitarian Awards were presented to Chris DaSilva, who was introduced by Leonard Bass, and Rochelle Noblett, who was introduced by James Glynn.

California Senator Anna Caballero, Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, Madera Mayor Santos Garcia, City Councilmembers Anita Evans and Artemio Villegas were among those community leaders present during the celebration.