Previously published on January 14, 2022
A veteran church music director, Sandra Pearson, who is a longtime Sioux City Community School District employee, will be conducting an all-community choir honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Her husband, Andrew Pearson, is also a longtime District employee. “Originally, we celebrated Dr. King’s birthday during an annual program held at East Middle School,” Andrew explained. “I credit people like (former East Middle School Principal) Tom Peterson, (former outreach specialist) Tito Parker and (former Sioux City School Superintendent) Larry Williams for helping to get the ball rolling.”
Since then, the Martin Luther King Day celebration, now sponsored by the Sioux City NAACP chapter, the Human Rights Commission and Mary Treglia Community House, has become a community-wide party, complete with prominent speakers and special musical guests.
“For as long as he’s been in town, (current Sioux City Community School District Superintendent) Paul Gausman has played drums for us,” Andrew Pearson said. “If Dr. Gausman is free, he said he’ll always be our drummer. He’s actually very good at it.”
But it is also students who deserve a special shout out, according to Andrew Pearson.
“It is the young people who are our future,” he said. “East Middle School students continue to be a part of the MLK program to this day.”
The event, which includes speakers and local dignitaries, will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at Kingdom Ministries Church, 2000 Military Rd.
You can read the full article by the Siouxland Journal’s Earl Horlyk here.