SHEBOYGAN, Wisc. — A handful of Sheboygan community members, brave enough to endure the cold, flocked to Mead Public Library Monday afternoon for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day event.
Families celebrated in their own way, with education at the forefront.
“We just want to know how our community embraces understanding more about prominent Black leaders who gave to this country—not just our community but communities everywhere,” said Toni White, the President of the Sheboygan Area Black-American Community Outreach group.
It’s a nonprofit formed in 2020 to bring more exposure and positivity to the Black community in the city.
This is the third year the team has partnered with the library for MLK Day.
“This was an event the library was holding, but they weren’t getting much visibility,” White explained. “So our ability to join increased the visibility and interaction.”
Watch: A look at MLK Day in Sheboygan – a blend of learning and entertainment
The MLK event included a variety of family-friendly activities:
- Button-making
- Lego-building
- Arts and crafts
- Documentary screening
- MLK book display
These offerings drew in local mom Sara Pereira.
“I just thought what they’ve done is a really neat event,” she said, smiling at one of her sons. “The way they made it in bite-sized pieces—ways that are easy for kids to understand.”
Her 2- and 6-year-old took a special liking to arts and crafts, which Pereira said was an approachable way to start important conversations about diversity and inclusion — Dr. King’s dream.
“And so it’s not something that’s different,” she noted. “It’s just something that’s a part of how they’re growing up.”
The kids who participated in the activities were celebrating MLK’s legacy while also looking ahead to an even brighter future.
“It starts with them,” White said. “And as we move forward, generation after generation…It’s investing now for the greater later.”
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