Denver’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration took place on January 13 at Boettcher Concert Hall, where a public benefit concert by the Colorado Symphony was held alongside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute and Humanitarian Awards. The evening marked the official kickoff to a weeklong celebration honoring Dr. King’s enduring legacy across the metro area and the state.

Electrifying, deeply soulful performances by vocalist Anna Maria High and saxophonist Tony Exum Jr. infused the program with emotional resonance. Under the direction of conductor Wilbur Lin, the Colorado Symphony delivered a moving musical program centered on unity, resilience, and hope. The evening closed with a powerful Lincoln Portraitperformed by Dr. Vern Howard, anchoring the program in spiritual and cultural reflection.

Music and civic recognition flowed together as individuals and organizations advancing equity, inclusion, and community care were honored. Award recipients were celebrated in a vibrant procession, their names called with the same reverence as the music itself. Honorees were: Angela Garland; Aiyanna Bell; Colorado Symphony Association; Kyle Clark; Kokoro Japanese Restaurant (Denver and Arvada); Chief Sonia Gillespie; William “Bill” Hybl; Dr. Odie Kennedy; Terry Minggia; NAACP Aurora Youth and College Council; Sachs Foundation; UCHealth Food for Thought; and Youth Celebrating Diversity.

Youth leadership set the tone early. Youth Celebrating Diversity was recognized for empowering young people through education, leadership development, and local action that advance inclusion and social justice. Aiyanna Bell, a multilingual senior at Eaglecrest High School in Aurora, received the Dr. Joyce Marie Davis Outstanding Youth Award for her academic excellence, creativity, and plans to pursue hospitality studies abroad. The Sachs Foundation was honored for expanding access to higher education for thousands of Black students and for launching SACHS Scholars, now led by foundation alumni. The NAACP Aurora Youth and College Council received the Colorado Holiday Commission Equity and Opportunity Award.

Longtime community organizer and music manager Terry Minggia was recognized for decades of civic and cultural leadership, including founding Umoja in the early 1980s and helping establish Denver’s annual MLK march and parade, now recognized as the largest King celebration in the nation.

The Colorado Symphony Association received the Wilma J. Webb Founders Award for nearly four decades of partnership with the MLK Holiday Commission. Since the mid-1980s, the symphony’s annual concert has used music as a unifying force, supported by local arts organizations and the mayor’s office.

Faith, civic, and public service leadership were also celebrated. Dr. Odie Kennedy was honored for her service as the first woman president of the Greater Denver Ministerial Alliance and for her pastoral leadership mobilizing church, community, and government partnerships. Sonia Gillespie was recognized as a trailblazer in law enforcement, retiring after a 33-year career as the first African American woman to serve as a division chief in the Denver County Sheriff’s Department. Cherry Creek School Board member Angela Garland was also recognized for her service and advocacy.

Additional honors went to William “Bill” Hybl of the El Pomar Foundation, recipient of the Menola Upshaw Lifetime Achievement Award for service, advocacy and equity for the people locally, nationaly, and aboard; journalist Kyle Clark, whose Word of Thanks Fund has raised approximately $16 million for small and mid-sized Colorado nonprofits; Kokoro Japanese Restaurant in Denver and Arvada, recognized for sustained community support and emergency food relief for immigrant families; and UCHealth Food for Thought, honored for advancing preventive care and student access to health resources.

Throughout the evening, emcee Tamara Banks gracefully wove the award recipients’ stories and the night’s musical expressions into a shared civic purpose, echoing Dr. King’s enduring call to democracy, service, and moral responsibility. The program closed with a reminder that the work of justice and compassion continues long after the final note.

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