To the Metropolitan Atlanta Community:

For over ten years, the Rollins School of Public has honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Awards Program. The genesis of this celebration grew out of dialogue in 1993 between Dr. Joyce Essien and then Dean of the School of Public Health, Ray Greenburg where they agreed that it was time to align the mission and values of Public Health with the precepts of social justice. With the support of Dean Curran and the diligent work of faculty, staff, and students, this program has grown to be a major event among the calendar of King Week activities held at Emory. Our program is unique as the only event that has consistently recognized and celebrated people and organizations in greater Atlanta whose work exemplifies the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 2007 program, as in past years, was sponsored by the Rollins School of Public Health and the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Our theme was "Continuing the Dream in the Next Generations.” The event took place on Thursday, January 18, 2007 in the auditorium of the Goizueta Business School with a reception and an art sale immediately following the program.

The program was dedicated to Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The keynote speaker was Atlanta’s Mayor, Shirley Franklin.

Awardees included:

• Dress for Success Atlanta
• Dabney Evans and Emory University Institute of Human Rights
• Akudo Ejelonu
• Evelyn Mims
• Sisters Intelligently Striving to Enhance Real Sisterhood (S.I.S.T.E.R.S.)
• Project Success, 100 Black Men of Atlanta
• Patrick Sutton
• Operation P.E.A.C.E. (Positive Education Always Create Elevation), Inc.
• Bruce Coward

Sincerely,
Usha Ramakrishnan, Ph.D. and Peter Roberts, Ph.D.
Co-Chairs, Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee

Please contact Angela Thomas at 404-727-7697 if you have any questions.

"Remembering King & community" article in January 2004 Emory Report about Fleda Mask Jackson and the MLK Community Service Awards.