Each year, on the third Monday of January, the United States celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to honor the life, work and legacy of American civil rights leader and activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Ames/Story County MLK Celebration Committee hosted a hybrid celebration event at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the Ames City Auditorium to commemorate the day and recognize King’s contributions to the civil rights movement.
Vanessa Baker-Latimer, a member of the MLK Celebration Committee and housing coordinator for the City of Ames, served as the event’s master of ceremonies and welcomed the community to celebrate King’s impact and message.
“[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] left a great non-violence legacy in which to strive to continue to bring together our community, equality and ensuring civil rights for all people, regardless of the color of their skin,” Baker-Latimer said. “He would have been 96 years old today.”
The Meeker-Edwards and Ames Youth Choir, comprised of elementary students, performed a selection of music dedicated to honoring King.
Following the choir performance, the winners of the 5th annual MLK Essay Contest were announced and received their prizes. The contest welcomed Story County high schoolers to enter an essay describing “how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. impacted their life or the lives of family, friends, and community, which helps motivate and inspire others to continue his legacy.”
Olivia Zhang, a ninth grader at Ames High School, won third place with her essay “Always Lend a Helping Hand: How Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Impacted My Life.”
Mikayla Carpenter, an 11th-grade student at Roland-Story High School, won second place with her piece called “From Darkness to Light.”
Finally, Fatimah Naraghi, a senior at Ames High School, won first place. Naraghi read her essay aloud to the audience, titled “Finding My Voice: From Silence to Service,” sharing her perspective on racial inequities and bias as a Middle Eastern woman.
Latifah A. Faisal, who is a member of the Story County Board of Supervisors, earned the Ames Humanitarian Award, which recognizes an Ames community member who exemplifies effort and leadership toward diversity, inclusion and equity. Faisal was recognized for “breaking community barriers” and was “a driving force in building meaningful connections and empowering underrepresented voices.”
After the award was presented, the audience viewed a video presentation titled “I Have A Dream” of children from Ames and Story County posing with signs reading, “Because of him… I, too, have a DREAM!”.
The celebration culminated in a speech from keynote speaker Toyia K. Younger, senior vice president for student affairs at Iowa State University.
“Dr King’s dream of a beloved community teaches us that we must lead with empathy, that we must embrace dialogue and that we must work tirelessly to create space for equality, belonging and peace,” said Younger. “Let’s connect with folks from different walks of life and different beliefs, and let’s be ready and inspire to create spaces and experience throughout this amazing community that we call home, where everyone will feel welcome, and most importantly, as if they truly belong here.”
