MLK Panel Names Speaker For Jan. EventWINONA LAKE – The Committee to Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King (CCMLK) announced the speaker for the 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Event will be Chris Singleton, a professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs organization and inspirational speaker.
Doors open at 11 a.m. and the program is scheduled to run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center on the Grace College campus.
Singleton’s role as an inspirational speaker has led him to appear on ESPN's E:60, Sports Illustrated magazine and USA Today.
His mother, Sharonda Coleman Singleton, was murdered along with eight other victims at Mother Emanuel AME church in downtown Charleston, S.C., on June 17, 2015, by a white supremacist.
Chris inspired his city and the nation by him forgiving the man who murdered his mother and said, "Love is stronger than hate."
He inspires his audiences through his personal experiences of adversity and his belief that God can guide you through any storm you will ever pass, according to a news release from the Committee.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Community Event is free to attend and is intended for people of all ages in Kosciusko County. Children are encouraged to participate if they do not have school.
There will be free lunches provided for the first 300 people in attendance. The Warsaw Community Schools’ choir will perform, and the ROTC will present the colors.
The CCMLK will also announce the selection process for the 2019 scholarship award, which goes to high school and current college students in Kosciusko County who demonstrate extraordinary citizenship, exemplify the principles taught by King and intend on pursuing or continuing a college degree. Those interested in applying for the scholarship should contact their guidance counselor or pick-up an application at the event.
