TACOMA, Wash. – The City of Tacoma’s Events and Recognitions Committee (CERC) presents the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, January 20, 2025. The event features the annual Community Service Awards, which highlight outstanding contributions to community service and inspire others to make a difference. This year, CERC will recognize Brian Gatewood Sr. with the Emerging Leader Award and Shawn Durnen with the Lifetime Service Award. Mayor Victoria Woodards will also present a Special Recognition to former U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer. Hosted by local humanitarian and Tacoma influencer Kwabi Amoah-Forson, the celebratory program will include a keynote address by Cordell Carter II, the Aspen Institute’s Executive Director and founding director of the Institute’s Project on Belonging.
The celebration will take place at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center (GTCC), located at 1500 Commerce St., Tacoma. The event opens at 11 AM for the community outreach fair, with the event presentation starting at 1 PM.
This year’s theme, Building Bridges, underscores the importance of fostering unity and collaboration within the community. Stories will be shared throughout the program that highlight how individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds work together to create meaningful connections and drive positive change. The program will feature performances by the Tracie L. Davis Celebration Choir, Tacoma Poet Laureate Christian Paige, Vocalist Jayden Walker, Golden Bamboo, and participation from Stadium High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), Gray Middle School Choir, and Tacoma School of the Arts (SOTA) Dance Troupe.
The theme expands on last year’s focus, A Community Blueprint: Building Block by Block, by emphasizing collective action and shared purpose. By exploring how bridges—both literal and metaphorical—can unite people, the event aims to inspire attendees to commit to building a more inclusive and harmonious Tacoma.
“As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, our theme—Building Bridges—reminds us that Dr. King’s legacy is not just about reflecting on the past but about taking action to unite our communities,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. “Now more than ever, we must come together across differences, strengthen connections, and ensure that equity and justice guide our path forward.”
The CERC oversees the planning and production of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, including the selection of honorees for the annual awards. For more information about the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, visit tacomavenues.org or email communityevents@cityoftacoma.org.
About Emerging Leader Recipient Brian Gatewood Sr.
In 2021, Brian Gatewood Sr., seeking a sense of purpose, founded Innovative Change Makers (ICM). Drawing from his personal story of overcoming adversity, he set out to provide youth with safe spaces, mentorship, and alternatives to hazardous lifestyles, such as gang affiliation and violence. His mission: to empower youth to thrive and bring out the best versions of themselves. Under Gatewood’s leadership, ICM has launched 12 active programs both in and out of schools, placing trusted adults and youth peer mentors in leadership roles. His slogan, “Change Starts With YOUth,” reflects his belief that young people hold the key to building stronger communities. It also serves as a call to action, emphasizing that empowering youth creates ripple effects of positive change. For more information, visit InnovativeChangeMakers.org or follow on Instagram @InnovativeChangeMakers22.
About Lifetime Service Award Recipient Shawn Durnen
Shawn Durnen is a nationally renowned veteran and military family advocate. In addition to being an Iraq war veteran, he has held key roles such as the President & CEO of Nineline Veteran Services, formally the South Sound Regional Coordinator at the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs, and working as co-chair for the South Sound VA community veteran engagement board and the Governor’s suicide prevention commission and state suicide prevention plan. Currently, he is a partner of the US Department of Veteran Affairs on the (VSPN) veteran sponsorship partnership network as part of the National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnership and as the South Sound C.I.C. and one of the military transition’s leaders for the south sound with ETS sponsorship. He has and continues to serve as an advocate both in grassroots initiatives, legislatively, and in government affairs, meanwhile creating opportunities for gainful employment and housing. For more information, visit 9linevets.org/ or contact Help@Nine9line.org.
About Host Kwabi Amoah-Forson
Kwabi Amoah-Forson is a humanitarian and influencer from Tacoma, WA. Through various humanitarian campaigns, he has assisted those in need in his community and across the country. He also strives to educate others about the true meaning of peace and foster dialogue on the subject through The Peace Bus. He has been featured on PBS Television, KING 5 News, Fox 13 Seattle, and co-hosted last year’s Northwest Regional Emmy Awards as well as Tacoma’s very own Night Show. Three years ago, he was awarded the Tacoma Peace Prize and was invited to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Recently, he traveled to Ghana, West Africa, on a humanitarian journey where he gave away food and resources to orphanages. In addition, he is a pilot currently working on his dream of flying for peace with The Peace Plane. Over the years, Amoah-Forson has worked to help those in need with many humanitarian aid endeavors, while speaking to students, businesses, and organizations. For more information, visit thepeacebus.org.
About Cordell Carter II
Cordell Carter II is the incoming Chief Executive Officer of the Carson Scholars Fund, an education-focused philanthropy, and concurrently the founding director of the Aspen Institute Project on Belonging. He also founded the Festival of the Diaspora, a Medellin, Colombia-based convener of diasporic communities across the Americas. In addition, he led the Aspen Institute Socrates Program, a global education forum for leaders, and held leadership roles with the TechTown Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Public Schools, Business Roundtable, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the IBM Corporation. Carter is a sought-after facilitator and speaker on belonging and inclusion, post-secondary success, and democratic ideals. Over the last few years, he has delivered dozens of keynote speeches, facilitated roundtables, and moderated panels all over the globe. While working with leaders, he has curated more than three dozen off-the-record leadership seminars annually in capital cities around the world, reaching more than 1,000 leaders each year. In June 2021, President Joseph Biden appointed him as Commissioner to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.
About the City’s Events and Recognitions Committee
The City’s Events and Recognitions Committee serves as an advisory and action committee on matters pertaining to City-hosted events, special events funding, and recognition programs. Members are responsible for planning, reviewing, and evaluating events to receive grant funding, as well as engaging the community in its planning efforts for City-hosted events such as City of Destiny Awards and the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.
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