Building the Dream
APS celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.

As part of its ongoing effort to promote diversity in our community, APS continued a long-held tradition of sponsoring the annual Scottsdale Community Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner Celebration in 2007. APS has been involved with the celebration since its inception 13 years ago and has been a title sponsor for the past 10 years.

As one of the largest MLK celebrations in the state, event organizers have a commitment to bring in prestigious speakers who both educate and inspire. This year, the event sold out and included many APS officers, employees and retirees. It is a natural fit for APS, which also incorporates diversity in its corporate philosophy and by supporting similar community events.

The event featured keynote speaker Juan Williams who gave an inspirational address. Williams is an Emmy award-winning senior correspondent at National Public Radio, has written for the Washington Post, and has appeared on Fox News and PBS. He is the author of nationally recognized works including the biography, Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary, and the bestseller, Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965. In his speech, Williams encouraged Arizonans to make the same commitment to their fellow citizens as King did in his day.

"You have to have a sense of being in a fight to try to fix and improve America," he said. "You have to love America so much that you're willing to put your hands in the muck and mire of American life to shape what is to come."