UPDATE: Watch the livestream on YouTube or Facebook
Join us virtually for the 39th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service & Awards, which will be streamed on Facebook and YouTube starting at 10:30am on Monday, January 17th.
This year's theme, “A Conscientious Stance,” is inspired by Dr King's famous quote, "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor political nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right."
The keynote speaker will be Mr Thurgood Brooks (see his bio below). The program will include a variety of performances and presentations in honor of Dr. King, and two scholarships will be awarded. The “I Have A Dream” Award will be presented to a Rock Island citizen for exemplary community service and enormous contributions made to the community.
The poet Aubrey Barnes will perform an original piece; radio host Ashley Dean will sing; and Mikayla Hughes-Shaw, Host of Living Local, will emcee the event.
For more information, please call 309 732 2999 or email mlkmail@rigov.org
This event is supported by a grant from the Rauch Family Foundation.
A recording of this event will be available afterwards on our Facebook page, website, and YouTube channel.
Watch the livestream on YouTube
Keynote Speaker Mr. Thurgood Brooks
Born and raised in Rock Island, the son of Terry Brooks and Cynthia Patton, Thurgood Brooks is a passionate and dedicated advocate for his beloved community.
He graduated from Rock Island High school in 2011 where he excelled academically and athletically. Thurgood played four years of football serving as team captain. In his lone track season, he was a member of the 2011 state championship team in the 4x100-meter relay.
Upon graduating from Rocky, Thurgood attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale where he walked on the football team. After three semesters, Thurgood accepted a football scholarship to William Penn University. Ultimately, he received his bachelors degree from Western Illinois University-Macomb, majoring in History with a minor in political science. Immediately upon graduating from college, Thurgood returned home to get to work.
Thurgood Brooks is a community builder and organizer who believes deeply in the power of citizens to create positive change. He has spent his career advocating for youth, businesses, and the development of partnerships for the betterment of our community. Through his work as a Family Advocate at the Martin Luther King Center; football coach for Rock Island High School and the QC Steamwheelers; banker at Wells Fargo; financial representative at Modern Woodmen; member of the Rock Island Human Rights Commission; member of Rock Island County NAACP; member of the School Health Link board; and founder of two community-driven organizations (Tut Cities Education and Entertainment, and The Resolution), Thurgood has been able to work with community partners to bring people together. Importantly, he emphasizes collaborating with communities, rather than simply speaking on their behalf.
In the spring of 2021, with the help of a 21-person volunteer team, Thurgood received 48% of the vote in the Rock Island Mayoral race. In 2021, he was named Rock Island Citizen of the Year, and Community Caring Conference Individual Hero. He also received the 2019 Rock Island County NAACP Youth Development Image award, and the Rock Island Football Assistant Coach of the Year award (the only two-time winner, in 2019 and 2021), among others.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2021, Thurgood worked with the City of Rock Island to establish a Police Community Relations Commission in an effort to improve relationships between the police and citizens. Thurgood Brooks believes that inspiration is the best thing you can give someone, and he hopes to inspire others.