Marian University and the Fond du Lac community honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by awarding the Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award. The 2024 recipient of this prestigious award is Sara Krueger-Zuengler, a UW-Madison alumnus and Wisconsin Badger! She believes that if Dr. King was with us today, “he would remind us that much justice work is yet to be completed, that we still have much to do to create a society that honors the dignity and worth of each person.”
As a retired English teacher, Sara knows the importance of literacy and believes in the expansive power of getting books into the hands of readers. Because Sara is an action-oriented individual, she founded a Lending Library for Ebony Vision of Fond du Lac. This local solution celebrates and affirms Black identity in literature for readers of all ages. As she stated in her acceptance speech, she shares “the award with others who see the value in books and literacy, and offer programs and scholarships to help people access the keys to doors that lead to success. People who believe that Frederick Douglass was right, ‘Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.’’ The collection has grown to almost 1300 selections and is housed in multiple locations throughout the community.
The WAA: Fond du Lac Chapter has supported Sara Krueger-Zuengler’s efforts by conducting a book drive with Lunar and Lake Book Market and promoting fund-raising efforts with Just Fare Market in Peebles to purchase books for the library. The December event generated $1750 in sales for the Just Fare Market and raised $262.70 for the Ebony Vision Lending Library. Multi-solving at its best! Way to go Fondy Badgers!
Sara’s drive for equality has an urgency fueled by her passion for justice and dignity. She has a way of inspiring others to join her cause and is quick to acknowledge others who embody the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. When Sara accepted her award she was quick to highlight other “neighbors in this community advocating for justice and dignity in all ways—the folks who made sure we have a warming shelter, those building beds and providing blankets for kids, those in long standing programs like Loaves and Fishes that have fed people for decades, and those volunteers literally providing Hope on the Block.”
The Martin Luther King Spirit Award was presented at the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Prayer Breakfast on January 15th. Past MLK Spirit Award Recipients include Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, Allen Buechel, Daisy Frazier, Fond du Lac Food Pantry, Stella Storch, and The Humanity Project.
Sara Krueger-Zuengler’s MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SPIRIT AWARD speech as presented at the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Prayer Breakfast, Marian University on Monday, January 15, 2024.
“No, we are not satisfied and we will not BE satisfied, till justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
We know Dr. King invoked those words in a number of speeches, most notably the “I have a dream speech. I believe that if he was with us today, Dr. King would remind us that much justice work is yet to be completed, that we still have much to do to create a society that honors the dignity and worth of each person.
We know Dr. King cared about voting rights, yes, but he also advocated for human rights broadly. In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech he said, “Ï have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies/, education and culture for their minds/ and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”
And so today I want to share this incredible honor with our neighbors in this community advocating for justice and dignity in all ways—the folks who made sure we have a warming shelter, those building beds and providing blankets for kids, those in long standing programs like Loaves and Fishes that have fed people for decades, and those volunteers literally providing Hope on the Block.
I share the award with others who see the value in books and literacy, and offer programs and scholarships to help people access the keys to doors that lead to success. People who believe that Frederick Douglass was right, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
And, I know, I know it’s hard to know where to jump in. There is SO much need in the world, so much work to be done to advance human rights, that sometimes we just stick our heads in the sand or resign and withdraw in sadness
But, journalist Rachel Maddow said something that captured my attention awhile back. To paraphrase, she said that we must match the despair we feel with the state of the world with local participation/activism. And, for me, that advice rings true. Providing books that are representative of people’s experience and culture gives me purpose. And each book, I hope, is a statement to readers that they are seen, respected, and deserving of education and beauty in their lives.
I encourage everyone to find a local outlet to combat those fears and concerns about the world, remembering, as my mom always taught me, that if we have the ability to share, we have an obligation to do so—joyfully.
Finally, as you look for places to participate in justice work, please consider joining the efforts of Ebony Vision. We are the only organization in the area whose sole purpose is to lift up, celebrate and advocate for the Black community. Without Ebony Vision, the lending library and our educational advocacy efforts wouldn’t exist. I encourage everyone in this room to become a member, to donate to our programs and to attend our events. We need your professional and entrepreneurial skills, your insights and your visions for the future. Honestly, you will feel welcomed at Ebony Vision.
And, so: Cheers and thanks to all those who advocate for justice and dignity in our community.
As we celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy, let’s challenge ourselves anew to find local spaces where we can lend our help. And, please, consider joining/supporting Ebony Vision as we reach out in many directions to create a better life for all citizens in FDL.
Allow me to close with these words penned by Hopi Elders in a prophecy written in 2000:
“Gather yourselves! Banish the word ’struggle’ from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”