Unalaska Youth Prepare to Celebrate MLK Day AND Happy Birthday to my Mom

This coming Friday, we are having a community celebration of diversity in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.    Today, Darcel and I met with our Natural Helpers group to make posters to be displayed at the event.    

Father Michael Oleksa, a well known and well respected Alaska diversity educator, will be our guest speaker.  I have heard so many good things about him and have read one of his books, but have never had the honor to hear him in person.   

If you live in Unalaska, the event will take place at the PCR at 7 PM on Friday, Jan. 23.   We will also have a variety of cultures providing entertainment.

Isn't it interesting that our first African American President will be inaugurated the day after Martin Luther King's birthday?   I know I have written this before, but after living in segregated Georgia when I was a child, and going through the Civil Rights movement as I grew up, it is truly a day I didn't think I would ever see in my lifetime.

I watched some of the pre-inauguration activities on CNN today and felt a sense of hope and pride that we have come so far.  I know there are many obstacles on the way to solving our country's problems but we also have the opportunity to reach for the best in all of us and to work together to make a positive difference in the world.

Hard at work!

Each poster shows the unique interpretation and talent of one or more kids.

Unalaska is a very diverse community, with people from all over the world.  Our English as a Second Language Program at the school is one of the biggest in the state!

Yet most of our kids do not let language, ethnicity, color or anything else stand in the way of friendship.

Pretty impressive, huh?

What a great group of kids.   We are very proud of them!

Happy Birthday, Mom!  We hope you had a wonderful day and we send lots of love your way.