Annual Pikes Peak Commemoration
REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Monday, Jan. 16, 2023
Ed Robson Arena, Colorado College
849 N. Tejon St, Colorado Springs
It Starts with Me:
Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems
7:30 A.M.
ALL PEOPLE’S BREAKFAST & SOCIAL HOUR
8:30 A.M.
Call to Order and Greetings
MC Mayo Davison – Space Foundation
National Anthem Unity Project
Land Acknowledgment
Debbie Howell – Colorado College
Invocation
Reverend Eric Graham – Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church
Welcome
President L. Song Richardson – Colorado College
Black National Anthem Unity Project
Student Reflections
Kelajanae Curry – Educating Children of Color
Cydnee Taylor – African American Youth Leadership Conference
Recognitions of Service
Percy Pellerin – Springs Mountain Sangha
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Ramon Alvarez –Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and EDC
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Mike Edmonds – Colorado College
Food 4 Thought Session
Anja Wynne – Food for Thought
Closing Remarks/Announcements
MC Mayo Davidson
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JAN. 16, 2023
MONDAY,
10 A.M. UNITY MARCH
March from the corner of Tejon Street and Cache La Poudre Street to Acacia Park
Keynote speaker: Sharon Tunson
Long-time Colorado Springs native, Tunson graduated from William J. Palmer High School and earned an M.A. from the University of Northern Colorado. Tunson’s family has been integral in the growth in Colorado Springs and she continues the movement. She is the assistant dean of High School Programs at Pikes Peak State College.
Live musical and dance performances by local artists.
7 P.M. Doors Open at 6:30 P.M. CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE ENSEMBLE FEATURING THE COLORADO SPRINGS GOSPEL MUSIC WORKSHOP OF AMERICA
Kathryn Mohrman Theatre, Armstrong Hall, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble is internationally esteemed as one of America’s foremost modern dance companies. The ensemble performs dynamic bodies of work inspired by the African-American experience and rooted in ethnic and modern dance traditions worldwide. Special guests: Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc., Colorado Springs Chapter Choir, under the direction of evangelist P.M. Wynn-Grove, chapter representative and president. Free and open to the public; no tickets required. Reception to follow.
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Photo by Jerry Metellus
2023 PIKES PEAK REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CORE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Amy Hill Colorado College
Allison Pacheco Colorado College
Angela Stevens Colorado Springs Chapter, NAACP
Anja Wynne Food for Thought, Colorado Springs Chapter
Christina Gray USAA
Danielle Summerville City of Colorado Springs, co-chair
Donald Deas Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, KOAA News 5
Earl Schaffer Colorado Springs Community Choir
Earlon Juniel USAA
Janice Frazier
The Urbanites of the Pikes Peak Region
Juvi Therese Mallari Colorado College
Kimber Reese Colorado Springs Community Choir
Percy Pellerin Springs Mountain Sangha
Rodney Gullatte Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce
Rosalie Rodriguez Colorado College, co-chair
Shirley Martinez Pikes Peak Library District
Steve Flynn Pikes Peak Justice & Peace Commission
Wardell Adams Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
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THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
PIKES PEAK REGION HONOREES
ROCHELLE T. DICKEY
Rochelle T. Dickey serves at the vice-president for student life and dean of students at Colorado College where she is retiring after 32 years of service. A first-generation student, earning a bachelor’s degree in drama from CC and a master’s in educational counseling and human services from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Dickey commitment to antiracism, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging have been steadfast through the decades and are directly tied to the on-gong success of the Pikes Peak Region Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration.
Dickey has received the Victor Nelson-Cisneros Award for her commitment to diversity and inclusion and an Urban League Service Award for commitment to the welfare of minority students. She was honored with three awards from the NAACP: The Community Education Award, Freedom Fund Award, and an award for enduring support of civil rights and social justice. At CC, she also received the CC Student Mentor Award for five years, as well as advising awards from CCSGA Student Government, Blue Key, and Mortar Board National Honor Societies. She received the Gresham Riley Award for making a difference in the Colorado College community through outstanding service, commitment, and accomplishment. Rochelle is proud to be the daughter of George and Marlene Dickey and mother to Donovan, a 2019 Colorado College graduate.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF HENRY ALLEN, JR. (1955-2022)
Henry Allen Jr. was a beloved member of the Colorado Springs community, a civic leader, and a civil rights activist. Henry retired from U.S. Army, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), and as director of security and deacon with Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church. As a founder of the Colorado Springs SCLC and former President of NAACP, Henry was a civic leader who was known to stand up for Black youth, stand against the death penalty and provide a welcoming and affirming space for all. Henry passed away in October after a long illness. May he Rest in Power.
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MIKE EDMONDS
Mike Edmonds currently serves as a senior vice president at Colorado College, where he has been since 1991. He served as Acting co-president for the 20202021 academic year and in doing so became the first African American person to lead CC. Edmonds also served as the Dean of Students/Vice President for Student Life from 1991-2020. He is an executive in residence in the Economics and Business Department, where he teaches Business Communications.
He holds a bachelor of arts, master’s, and Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi, where he was inducted as a Hall of Fame graduate in 1984, and inducted into its School of Education Hall of Fame in 2019. He was also inducted into the National Speech and Debate Hall of Fame in 2019. He completed a post-graduate institute at Harvard University and is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership. Edmonds has been a dedicated community change agent and served on an expansive list of boards of directors throughout Colorado Springs including the Rocky Mountain Division of the American Cancer Society, Fire Foundation of Colorado Springs Board of Directors, Children’s Museum of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Board of Directors at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, and the Liberal Arts Alumni Advisory Board at the University of Mississippi.
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SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE ALL PEOPLE’S BREAKFAST SPONSORS
The Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Fund