NORMAL (25News Now) – For the 49th time, the Bloomington-Normal community recognized Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s legacy and gave out awards to local civil rights leaders.
The first luncheon was in 1975, and in 1977 the event began giving awards to individuals who contribute to civil rights and justice in the spirit of King’s legacy.
“For how long it’s been running, 49 years and counting, that’s one of the longest in the nation, I think that’s what makes the event stand out every year. On top of that, the keynote speakers that we have, the people in attendance, as well as giving back to the community,” said Gregory Wilson, Community Relations Manager for the City of Bloomington and also a Board of Education member for Peoria Public Schools.
This year, there are awards for adults and youth in each community. The adult award for Bloomington was presented to Brigette Gibson, and the youth award went to Vedha Giriprakash. In Normal, the adult award went to Christa Platt and the youth award was presented to Benedicte Diamonika…