The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force of Southfield selected Rosemerry D. Allen as the recipient of the 2018 MLK Community Service Award at the 33rd annual MLK Holiday Peace Walk Celebration on January 15.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force of Southfield honors one individual each year who best exemplifies the qualities of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nominees must be committed to the advancement of human and civil rights, active in community service, and reside or work in Southfield or Lathrup Village.

Rosemerry Allen is known for her extensive community service and humanitarian efforts throughout Southfield and the world over. Mrs. Allen is a longtime MLK Task Force member in addition to creating a space for nonprofit organizations to showcase their services and resources at the annual MLK Peace Walk programs. The community display tables have also grown to include a Taste Fest since Mrs. Allen’s original vision came to fruition. She is also very active in her church through which she has gone on several mission trips throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Haiti and Africa.

Always one to support Southfield’s youth, Mrs. Allen served as a chaperone on the MLK Freedom Ride 2017, which toured several historical civil rights sites throughout Washington D.C., Atlanta, Memphis and Louisville. Mrs. Allen also serves as a Celebrity Reader for Southfield Public Schools, a member of the Southfield Parks & Recreation Board, president of the Tamarack-Hiawatha Neighborhood Association and previously served as a member of the Youth Advisory Board for the Boys and Girls Club ‘field Zone.

The city of Southfield was the first city in the state of Michigan to hold a Dr. King peace walk or march. The first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Walk in Southfield took place on January 20, 1986, commemorating the first national observance of Dr. King’s birthday. The walk continues to grow in size and scope each year with year-long educational and community activities. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force, Inc. is a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers committed to advancing the principles and ideals of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For more information, contact Dorothy Dean, MLK Community Service Award Committee Chair, at deanlaw@sbcglobal.net or visit www.mlktaskforcemi.org.