Corey Johnson, Supervisor of Meter Operations, has served as OUC’s representative to the Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission since 2008.
For Corey Johnson, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is much more than a one-day celebration of the late civil rights leader’s legacy. It’s at the epicenter of a series of events he has helped raise funds for, organize and participate in since 2008.
That’s the year he became OUC’s representative to the Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, the organizer of the city’s official MLK Jr. events. In 2017, he joined the group’s executive committee, a move that increased his time commitment to helping plan and find sponsors for activities commemorating the memory of Dr. King.
“I do it because I like giving back to the community,” says Johnson, Supervisor of Meter Operations. “I like being a part of something that makes me feel like I’m helping pass along Dr. King’s legacy.”
The city’s 2022 MLK celebrations run from Jan. 9 until Feb. 27, with Johnson playing a supporting role in some of them.
On Friday, at the 36th annual Dr. Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Luncheon, Johnson will deliver a message honoring the scholastic achievements of some local high school seniors who will receive scholarships funded by the MLK Jr. commission. The event will be held virtually due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 omicron variant.
The following morning he and fellow MLK commission members will join Mayor Buddy Dyer and other dignitaries in attending the 38th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Downtown Orlando Parade Showcase. Also impacted by the latest wave of the virus, the “parade” will showcase bands and other performers on an outdoor stage at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
On the actual Jan. 17 holiday, Johnson will attend the Orlando Magic’s MLK Night at Amway Center to participate in a special halftime show honoring the 26 recipients of the Mayor Dyer MLK Youth Humanitarian Awards.
Finally, on Feb. 27, Johnson will be among the MLK commission members who will take a bow before the audience attending the MLK Concert at Dr. Phillips Center’s new Steinmetz Hall.
“Even if I weren’t OUC’s representative on the Mayor’s MLK Jr. Commission, I’d be involved in helping it; that’s how strongly I feel about honoring the life and incredible legacy of Dr. King,” he says.
Download 2022_MLK_EventsCalendar to view area MLK festivities. Dates highlighted in boxes are presented by the Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.
