The 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Birthday Celebration is slated for 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The event is free and open to the public and a 4 p.m. reception follows in the Bradley Pavilion.

Taking part in this year's celebration are Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Calypso, Trinity Irish Dance, Syrenka-Polish Youth Folk Dance Ensemble, The Chinese Youth Orchestra, Northside YMCA Gospel Choir, Latino Arts Mariachi Juvenil, City Ballet Theatre and others.

Among the speakers are Janan Najeeb from the Islamic Society, Dr. Darnell Cole from MATC and Lori Waldon from Channel 12. Father Bryan Massingale, Marquette University, will perform the invocation.

In addition, students will interpret Dr . King's words through art, speech and writing. This year's theme is "America Must Change," excerpted from "A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr."

Milwaukee and Atlanta are the only cities to have honored Dr. King's birthday every year since 1984.