On the morning of Monday, January 19, 2026, the Oshkosh Community gathered for the Oshkosh Area School District’s second annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day Celebration. Despite the frigid January temperatures, the celebration saw an increase in attendance from the previous year’s inaugural event. Community members once again gathered at Vel Phillips Middle School to enjoy a morning of connection and to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy.

View the full event photo gallery HERE.

The celebration began with a continental breakfast as guests were welcomed with a performance by the Oshkosh North High School Jazz Band, which served as the soundtrack for the meal and community connection time.

At 9 a.m., guests made their way into the Vel Phillips Atrium for the celebration’s formal ceremony. OASD Director of Community Engagement and Equity, and the key organizer of the event - Mr. Anthony Miller Jr. - welcomed community members, local officials, and OASD students, staff, and families by delivering the ceremony’s opening remarks. Mr. Miller offered his sincere thanks to those who had contributed to the event and introduced this year’s student Masters of Ceremonies - the presidents of the Oshkosh North High School and Oshkosh West High School Black Students Unions (BSU) - Adut M. and Micah T., respectively.

Throughout the program, students from Vel Phillips Middle School and Perry Tipler Middle School provided lively vocal performances. The Vel Phillips Middle School 8th-Grade Choir performed “Be The Change” and “Glory”. The Perry Tipler Middle School Chorus sang “Only When It’s Dark” and “Over My Head”.

This year’s program prominently featured student voices and perspectives. The theme of the ceremony was Dr. King’s famous quote, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” From the MCs, to the featured speakers, and even within the musical performances, each student reflected on what “true peace” and Dr. King’s teachings meant to them.

The ceremony’s keynote speaker and Oshkosh North freshman, Mooka S., delivered a powerful address reflecting on Dr. King’s advocacy work and the impact of his words - both during the Civil Rights Movement and echoing in discussions of civility and justice today.

Watch Mooka’s full keynote address and performance HERE.

“Dr. King fundamentally changed his world in more ways than I can name up here today, but the two that stand out to me the most are one - the marches he led, and two - the words that he hoped would wake us up,” Mooka explained, going on to describe how Dr. King’s march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 united people of various backgrounds in the pursuit of true peace and justice.

“That dream Dr. King spoke of - it’s still waiting for a full awakening. How does that make you feel? Sad? Angry? Tired? For me, it makes me feel all of those things,” Mooka continued, “And yet, I also find hope. Because as Dr. King reminded us, ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’”

Mooka opened up about his personal experiences of finite disappointment, citing examples of  injustices and racial discrimination he and his friends had personally experienced. After reflecting on the disappointment those experiences had caused him, Mooka shared moments of compassion which made him feel hopeful - like a classmate standing up for another when they are being mistreated, feeling support from trusted teachers, being able to lean on and share one’s authentic self with loved ones - and emphasized the importance of those kind acts.

“These small moments of courage, these moments of love, are what keep me hoping that the ‘presence of justice’ is a possibility. So, I ask you - what gives you ‘infinite hope’? Maybe it’s your family. Maybe it’s your teachers. Maybe it’s your friends. Maybe it’s the people who you see showing kindness when no one is watching. Maybe it’s your belief that change is still possible, even when it feels slow. Edward Everett Hale once said, ‘I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.’”

By sharing his lived experiences, Mooka challenged the community to listen to the perspectives of those who are different from themselves and take actionable steps to better serve Oshkosh students and community members.

“The theme of today’s ceremony, ‘True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice,’ is calling us to wake up,” said Mooka. “Today I challenge you, when you leave this room, don’t let this just be another ceremony. Carry the message forward - live it, speak it, practice it. Get up, get involved, and get to work. There’s so much still to do. We owe that to Dr. King, we owe it to ourselves, we owe it to each other, and we owe it to everyone who will come after us. As Dr. King told us, "Tomorrow is today, and there is such a thing as being too late.”

Joined by Oshkosh North band and choir students, Mooka ended his keynote address with a moving musical performance of Solomon Burke’s “None of Us Are Free.” The performance had the audience on their feet, and received a resounding ovation.

Following the keynote address, the student MCs presented a video recording from Dr. King’s speech in Montgomery, AL, on March 25, 1965. After the video, community members were given time to reflect on Dr. King’s words and discuss how they were impacted with those around them.

Winners of the 24th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest were also recognized during the ceremony. Essay contest selection committee members Theresa Duren, Director of the OASD Education Foundation, and Tanya Schmidt, OASD Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, introduced and awarded this year’s essay contest finalists. Selected among essay submissions from elementary, middle, and high schools across the district, the three top-scoring finalists from each grade division were called up to the stage to receive recognition and certificates of achievement. The first-place scorers of each age division read their essay submissions after receiving their awards.

The essay contest winners by age division:

Elementary Division Finalists

• First Place: Emy N., Oakwood, Grade 5 (Mrs. Emily Paternoster)
• Second Place: Sydney B., Oakwood, Grade 5 (Mrs. Emily Paternoster)
• Third Place: Kaeliah J., Jefferson, Grade 4 (Ms. Isabella Doege)

Middle School Division Finalists

• First Place: Aisha A., Carl Traeger, Grade 6 (Mrs. Christine Koehler)
• Second Place: Grace B., South Park, Grade 6 (Ms. Madysen Weisse)
• Third Place: Cooper B., Carl Traeger, Grade 8 (Mrs. Christine Koehler)

High School Division Finalists

• First Place: William A., Oshkosh West, Grade 12 (Mr. Trent Scott)
• Second Place: Michael H., Oshkosh West, Grade 12 (Mr. Trent Scott)
• Third Place: Basma R., Oshkosh West, Grade 11 (Ms. Kristian Weber)

A unique addition to this year’s celebration was the recognition of the Oshkosh Civility Project’s Torchbearer honorees. Margy Davey, Co-Chair of the Oshkosh Civility Project, acknowledged this year’s honorees by sharing about their contributions to the Oshkosh community and inviting them to accept their award certificates in front of the audience.

2026 Oshkosh Civility Project’s Torchbearer Honorees:

• Craig Burnett
• Kim Cooper
• Alana Erickson
• Michael Ford
• John Fuller
• Barbara Herzog
• Stephen Hintz
• Brittney Maehl
• Franki Moscato
• John Nichols
• E. Arthur Rehbein
• Jennifer Skolaski
• Timber Smith
• Brad Spanbauer
• Mushe Subulwa

At the end of the ceremony, a moment of silence was held in honor of Dr. King. Oshkosh West BSU Activities Coordinator, Amiyah T., delivered the ceremony’s closing remarks and thanked the community for attending this year’s celebration.

The second annual OASD MLK Jr. Day Celebration served as a strong second chapter to the district’s newest tradition. We extend our deepest gratitude to those who supported and attended this event, and engaged in meaningful reflection on Dr. King’s vision of justice and peace.

 

Relive the sights and sounds of the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration