Happy Friday! Let’s kick off the weekend with our top stories from this week and a few ideas to commemorate the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
In Today’s Newsletter:
- Get involved this weekend with Dr. King holiday events
- Recap of The Voice’s Persons of the Year
- Historic firsts for Black women in Wichita and Kansas City
- Black communities in LA county are being devastated from wild fires
- Relax with a new Netflix series
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A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMUNITY VOICE
MLK Jr. Holiday Events
The MLK Jr. holiday weekend is here and with it are many ways to participate. Check out our full calendar of events all across Wichita, the KC metro area, and across the state of Kansas!
PEOPLE
1. The Voice’s People of the Year
Marquetta Atkins-Woods and Emmet Pierson Jr. are our 2024 Wichita and Kansas City People of the Year! Learn how both of these community giants are making huge impacts on the communities they serve.
We’ve been enjoying and learning from our Black Trivia events so much that we decided to let our newsletter members in on the fun with a regular Black Trivia question in our Monday and Friday newsletters.
Question: How old was Rev. Al Sharpton when he began preaching?
A. Seven
B. Four
C. Fifteen
D. Twenty-one
*See the answer after “In Other News”*
WICHITA NEWS
2. BreAnna Monk Makes History as New Riverfest CEO
Wichita Festivals, Inc., has announced that BreAnna Monk will be its next president and CEO. Monk’s hiring marks the first time that a Black woman will lead the organization responsible for the state’s largest community celebration, Riverfest.
Read BreAnna’s reaction to the news!
KANSAS CITY NEWS
3. Making History: Melesa Johnson Sworn in as First Black Jackson County Prosecutor
Melesa Johnson made history this month when she was sworn in as Jackson County, Missouri’s first Black prosecuting attorney. Dozens of elected officials and community leaders packed the Historic Brady Courtroom at Independence’s Truman Courthouse.
See more coverage from the historic day
A MESSAGE FROM MASTERS AND MENTORS, WICHITA
Attention moms, dads, mentors, and volunteers: Come learn about a new program, “Masters & Mentors MLK Day of Service” for youth 12-17. The focus is on transforming young lives with chess instruction, CBI skills, mentoring, and family therapy. Come out and enjoy speakers, food and get a free t-shirt. Open to at-risk and justice involved youth.
ENTERTAINMENT
4. Netflix’s ‘Missing You’ Lands in Time for New Year Binge Watch
2025’s seasonal suspense series is “Missing You,” based on Harlan Coben’s 2014 New York Times bestseller. It stars Rosalind Eleazar as Detective Inspector Kat Donovan, a police officer who specializes in finding missing people.
A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMUNITY VOICE
Nominate a Love Couple
You can be one of the featured couples in our 2025 Valentine’s Issue! Or recommend a couple whose relationship you admire. Learn more about the details and nominate somebody. Just click the photo or button below.
NATIONAL NEWS
5. Eaton Fire Devastates LA-Area Historic Black Communities
While coverage of losses in the ongoing Los Angeles fires have often focused on celebrities, little attention has been given to the losses in historic Black communities in Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County.
President Biden just commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 convicted criminals -setting a new record for most individual pardons and commutations ever issued by a president. (NY Post)
The 5 Reasons Black Don’t Crack. A top dermatologist breaks down the science and tips for skin. (Sisters)
Trump’s Wind Turbine Threats Could Leave the Sector Spinning. The President-elect pledged to halt development of wind energy projects, a threat that could slow offshore wind beyond his term. (Inc.)
Wendy Williams Says She’s ‘Not Cognitively Impaired’, Feels Like She’s ‘InPrison’. The talk show host said she fears retaliation for speaking out. (Yahoo)
*Trivia Answer*: B. Four. Rev. Al Sharpton started preaching at the incredibly young age of four years old at the Washington Temple Church of God & Christ in Brooklyn, New York. He was licensed and ordained as a minister by the time he was nine years old.
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