Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
Event Theme: The Fierce Urgency of Pause—Why Rest and Radical Self-Care Are Critical to Our Movement for Racial, Social, and Economic Justice
Event Details
Overview
MSEA’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will be held together, on Saturday, January 18. This one-day event will convene educators, students, community members, and experts to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, recognize award winners, and further our work for racial, social, and economic justice for our students, educators, and communities.
- DATE: Saturday, January 18, 2025
- TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Doors and registration will open at 9:00 a.m.
- LOCATION: Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport, 1739 W. Nursery Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
**NO Payments will be accepted at the door. Only ticketed attendees will be admitted**
Program Agenda
Saturday, January 18
9:00 am
Registration
9:30 am
Pre-Celebration Entertainment
Apex Arts Magnet School (Anne Arundel County)
Student Vocalists
10:00 am
Greetings & Setting the Stage
Sean Johnson, MSEA Executive Director
Welcome
LaStelshia "Talking Bird" Speaks, Member of the Cheroenhaka Tribe of Southampton County (VA); MTSS Resource/Special Education Teacher, Seneca Elementary School (Baltimore County)
Honoring the Ancestors, the Elders, the History, and the Land
Paul Lemle, MSEA President (Howard County)
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
10:12 am
Keynote Speaker
Professor Rhonda Magee, Professor Emeritus and the Founding Director of the Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics at the University of San Francisco
Justice Begins with Us: Deep Self-Care and the Roots of Racial, Social, and Economic Justice
11:00 am
Student Performance
Rock Terrace School (Montgomery County)
Rock Terrace Performing Arts Ensemble (Under the Direction of Ms. Arielle Bayer)
11:15 am
Presentation of Award Winners
(Presented by MSEA Vice President Nikki Woodward & MSEA President Paul Lemle)
2025 Dorothy Lloyd Women’s Rights Award
Meghan Anderson, Special Education Paraeducator, Parkville Middle School (Baltimore County)
2025 Human and Civil Rights Award
Councilmember Wala Blegay, Member of the Prince George’s County Council (District 6) (Prince George’s County)
2025 Human and Civil Rights Award
Lynnette Wongus, Board Member, Cambridge Community Garden at Waugh Chapel (Dorchester County)
2025 Ethnic Minority Recognition Award—Community
Carolyn Williams Brooks, Member of the Board of Directors, Hagerstown Community College (Washington County)
2025 Ethnic Minority Recognition Award—Education
Shay Lewis-Sisco, Career Coach, Dorchester County Public Schools (Dorchester County)
2025 Ethnic Minority Recognition Award—Education
Dr. Yvette Thomasson, Professional School Counselor, Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School (Prince George’s County)
12:00 pm
Closing Remarks
Nikki Woodward—MSEA Vice President
12:05 pm
Closing Song
Members of the Rock Terrace Performing Arts Ensemble (Under the Direction of Ms. Arielle Bayer), Rock Terrace School (Montgomery County)
Lift Every Voice and Sing (The Black National Anthem) by James Weldon Johnson
12:10 pm
Benediction
Members of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Planning Committee
Heather Anglin, Minority Affairs Committee (Prince George’s County); Sharnetta Boone-Ruffin, Women’s Concerns Committee (Prince George’s County); Gloria Collins, Women’s Concerns Committee (Retired—Baltimore County); Jorge Cordoba, Human and Civil Rights Committee (Anne Arundel County) ; Melanie Mishra, Human and Civil Rights Committee (Cecil County); & Kendrick Wells, Minority Affairs Committee (Charles County)
12:15 pm
Brunch
Venue
What to know and expect before you get here.
Hotel
Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport, 1739 W. Nursery Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
Info
MSEA’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will be held together, on Saturday, January 18. This one-day event will convene educators, students, community members, and experts to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, recognize award winners, and further our work for racial, social, and economic justice for our students, educators, and communities.