Photos: Minnesotans celebrate MLK Day
Hundreds attended the state's 33rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration Monday at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in St. Paul.
Dr. Mae Jemison, who served as a NASA astronaut for six years and was the first woman of color in the world to travel to space, was the keynote speaker. In addition to honoring King's legacy, the event celebrated women of color in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Chemist and philanthropist Reatha Clark King received the Governor's Civil Rights Legend Award, while Katherine Coleman Johnson, a NASA research mathematician, received the Governor's Equity and Justice Legacy Award.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Attorney General Keith Ellison, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan also spoke at the celebration. Other event highlights included dance and musical performances.
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