ONE PEOPLE
35 Years of Community, Connection, and Celebration
Please join us for the 35th Annual
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast
7:00 AM
Doors open
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Programming
January 20, 2025
keynote speaker
MICHELE NORRIS
Journalist & NPR Host
Michele Norris is one of America’s most trusted voices in journalism, earning several honors over a long career, including Peabody, Emmy, Dupont, and Goldsmith awards. She is a columnist for The Washington Post Opinion Section, the host of the Audible Original Podcast, Your Mama’s Kitchen, and from 2002 to 2012 she was a cohost of NPR’s All Things Considered.
Norris is also the founding director of The Race Card Project, a Peabody Award–winning narrative archive where people around the world share their reflections on identity—in just six words. Her first book, The Grace of Silence, was named one of the best books of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Kansas City Star. Before joining NPR, Norris spent almost ten years as a reporter for ABC News covering politics, policy, and the dynamics of social change. Early in her career, she also worked as a staff writer for The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
Her latest book, Our Hidden Conversations, is a unique compilation of stories, richly reported essays, and photographs providing an honest, if sometimes uncomfortable, conversation about race and identity.
MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT
Threads dance project is led by founding Artistic/Executive Director Karen L. Charles whose creative vision connects audiences to new works about human justice. Threads transforms reality into resonant movement that causes people to reflect on ideas beyond the movement.
The company has been nominated for a MN SAGE DANCE AWARD. Threads provides opportunities for people of all ages to create and experience dance through a variety of classes and workshops offered at their local studio – Threads Dance Nexus.
sounds of blackness
Sounds of Blackness appearances include the Olympics, World Cup, Ryder Cup, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, World Figure Skating Championships, Grammys and more.
Sounds of Blackness has appeared with Quincy Jones, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Sting, Prince and Elton John, amongst other inspiring artists.
Sounds of Blackness has won Image, Soul Train, International Time for Peace, Stellar and 3 Grammy Awards. Their Top 10 single “ROYALTY" was nominated for two Stellar and two NAACP Image Awards.