Waukesha Times

PEWAUKEE, Wis. (Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023) – Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) will honor the important work of activist and prominent civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a special, in-person event featuring Cheryl Brown Henderson on Tuesday, Jan. 17. (Please note: the College will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16 to recognize the holiday.)

The event, which is free and open to the public, is planned for 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the College’s main Pewaukee campus, in the Anthony J. Natalizio (AJN) Center, Building S. (Doors open at 10:30 a.m., and the program begins at 11:25 a.m.) 

Please register by Jan. 12 to attend the event.

Henderson is the daughter of Rev. Oliver Brown, an activist and plaintiff in the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, in which the justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional -- a significant victory in the civil rights movement.

She is the founding president of The Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research, and the owner of the educational consulting firm Brown & Associates.

Since Henderson established the Foundation in 1988, it has provided scholarships to more than 100 minority students. The Foundation has presented awards to local, state and national leaders; established libraries for children in low-income communities; developed curriculum on Brown v. Board of Education for teachers across the country, created traveling exhibits and a website; and sponsored programs on diversity and educational issues for thousands of people.

Henderson has an extensive education, business and civic leadership background, having served on and chaired various local, state and national boards. In addition, she has two decades of experience in political advocacy, public policy implementation and federal legislative development.

WCTC has offered Martin Luther King Jr. Day programs for students and the community for many years, said Sherry Simmons, WCTC’s chief diversity and compliance officer, and the events allow members of the WCTC and greater community a time for remembrance and understanding.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on the teachings of such an important civil rights icon,” Simmons said. “It’s a day to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy, and have dialogue centered around social justice. Dr. King’s work in the civil rights movement was pivotal in wanting to create a more equitable and inclusive society.”

WCTC and the College’s Multicultural Engagement Center is committed to providing cultural programming and events each month that help build awareness and understanding, encourage discourse and advance inclusivity.

Original source can be found here.