First MLK Day Breakfast Features Message of Unity

NORFOLK - Unity doesn’t mean uniformity.

That was the message of the first annual Martin Luther King Day breakfast hosted by the City of Norfolk’s Diversity Council on Monday.

The event was held in conjunction with Northeast Community College and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, and featured President of the Omaha Branch of the NAACP Vickie Young as a keynote speaker.

Young was in Norfolk before, back in 2014 when her office received numerous complaints over a controversial and , in the minds of many, racist float in Norfolk’s 4th of July parade. Young says she’s seen great progress in the town since then.

“With new leadership and a new vision, we’re looking to accomplish greater things,” Young said. “I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Young spoke about a message of unity and openness to all and said that Dr. King’s message isn’t meant to be celebrated just one day every year.

“We love where we live,” Young said, relating a story of how her daughter recently became the first African American woman to live in the Village of Alma, Nebraska. “I know that for myself, I love the people, and I know that there’s a better way. We just have to be intentional.”

The event was the first hosted by Norfolk’s new Diversity Council, which was started by Mayor Josh Moenning last year as a way to make Norfolk more welcoming to all cultures.

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