MidCity Excellence celebrates 25 years, inspires youth at MLK Jr. ‘Solutions Summit’
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- MidCity Excellence celebrated 25 years of service to local youth with its 12th Annual MLK Jr. Solutions Summit Monday morning.
This year’s theme was “Homecoming of Excellence.” The event featured food, music and three guest speakers who are MCE alumni.
Kimberly Warren, MidCity Excellence CEO, said they called this year’s summit the "Homecoming of Excellence" to welcome MCE alumni.
“We served over 3,000 people in 25 years," she said. "They are young adults now, and they have their own families. We want to hear their stories. So come back home, tell your story, and inspire others because I think the young people today listen to other people who are just a few years older than us."
The summit was run entirely by the youth of MCE. Warren said she wants to make the youth a part of the process now, instead of when she retires.
“We've gotta start sharing little parts of that now. I don't want to be so high and mighty and so great that nobody takes my position when I die or when I retire. So we have to do it right now," Warren said. "They have to show up with us at city council, they have to show up with us at our talent shows, our drumline and they have to be a part of the process. Otherwise, this is a cancelled generation, and they will be very disenfranchized and they will have no passion for our mission. They'll just come, and then they won't carry it to the next level."
Inviting alumni to the summit was aimed at showing MCE youth participants that they can continue living their lives by finding hope through trauma.
“Success doesn’t always mean the condition is always right. We have lost brothers and sisters. Parents who have divorced," Warren said. "Some parents may have never been there, but in the midst of chaos, in the midst of trauma, they found positive hope."
Warren said it’s important to mention Dr. King’s legacy, but the community must still come together.
“If we just stop there and talk about the great legacy and do not actually join hands with the work of the people that are doing it, then we just make it a one-hit wonder and we cannot do that. Our youth need us; it’s urgent, we cannot wait," Warren said.
Warren said she hopes attendees of the event left feeling inspired.
“We often get so distracted, with coming from different sides of the political systems, institutions and our methodology of how we get there. Our kids are at home begging for attention. We cannot ignore that. The time is urgent," Warren said.
The event surpassed its audience goal of 150, drawing in a total of 165 attendees.
