For the past 50 years, a group of local churches has honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by supporting Milwaukee students.
Martin Luther King Scholarships Milwaukee, founded in 1976 by three pastors, celebrated the milestone anniversary by rewarding scholarships to 11 students during an event at Immanuel Presbyterian Church,1100 N. Astor St., on Jan. 11.
One of the students was Kimora Eubanks, a senior studying environmental science at UW-Milwaukee.
“I feel good. It helps a lot with books,” Eubanks said.
This year’s other scholarship recipients were Raelyn Borgwordt, Izayah Briggs, Frank Budederi, Aaron Bynum, Meri Mazang, Esaie Mbuyu, Carmel Mpange, Nhailee Nunez, Alaysia Randolph and Mariah Williams.
The goal of the scholarship is to help students who show financial need and academic promise and contribute to the community to pursue their dreams of higher education, according to organizers.
History of the scholarship
The Rev. Joseph Ellwanger of Cross Lutheran Church, the Rev. Ernest Glenn of Christ Presbyterian Church and the Rev. James Lyles, a United Methodist pastor, founded the program in 1976 to keep young people connected to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s justice and non-violence work.
Their plan was to raise funds for post-high school scholarships for students from central city congregations.
Over the decades, they’ve supported more than 300 students with funds raised almost entirely in Milwaukee’s inner city, according to Pastor Teresa Thomas-Boyd, co-chair of the MLK Scholarships Milwaukee board.
Applicants for the scholarship have to be connected to a church congregation that donates at least $500 to the fund and is committed to helping students raise funds during the year, according to Rev. Marilyn Miller, who also serves on the scholarship board.
“The scholarship kind of opens up the door for community, because then you’re surrounded. You know your value, you know you’re encouraged,” said Miller, a past scholarship recipient of the program.
The students write short essays reflecting on a quote or aspect of King’s teachings and answer questions about their essays during a forum.
Students also perform community service work and participate in raising at least $200 for the scholarship through the MLK All-A-Thon, a multimodal run/walk fundraiser. Established in 1982, that fundraiser is held the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
Each student received $2,500 this year, but the amount varies based on fundraising efforts and the number of eligible students, according to Miller
“They can reapply all the way through [college], which is one of the nice things because it could end up being $10,000,” Miller said.
A homecoming
The Rev. Danny C. Murphy, the event’s speaker, and Connie Lindsey, the emcee for the celebration, were among the first students to receive the scholarships in 1977.
Murphy said his high school guidance counselor told him he wasn’t college material. He proved the counselor wrong by attending and earning a bachelor’s degree at Concordia University.
Eventually, Murphy went to seminary school and is now the general presbyter and stated clerk of Trinity Presbytery, where he leads 56 congregations in South Carolina.
Lindsey, the first person in her family to go to college, said her scholarship was for $250. She said the support made a big difference.
“It was critical to me being able to get that degree, which was going to open doors for me, and I knew that,” said Lindsey.
She said she learned about the importance of advocacy and community service at Cross Lutheran Church, which guided her in her business and finance career in Chicago, her time as national president of Girl Scouts of the USA and her current philanthropic efforts.
“I certainly contribute towards the scholarships because I see me in all of these young people,” Lindsey said.
Reflecting on King’s words
Eubanks, the top fundraiser for the year, and Izayah Briggs, earned an additional $500 for their essays on King’s quote, “Unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
Eubanks said she reflected on how King overcame challenges and resolved conflict in her essay. She connected it to a personal experience in college where she spoke up about receiving dismissive responses when asking for help on math course material.
The quote “is a constant reminder for me to always speak my truth,” she said.
For more information
About 12 churches are active in MLK Scholarships Milwaukee and others are welcome to participate.
To support the scholarship, individuals can donate directly to MLK Scholarships Milwaukee or to an endowment fund with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation to sustain the program’s future.
To donate to the endowment, visit the fund website here or mail a check payable to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, 2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive,
Milwaukee, WI 53212 with “MLK Scholarships Milwaukee Fund” in the memo line.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
