Milwaukee 8-year old's call to action to honor Dr. Martin Luther King

MILWAUKEE-- Hundreds gathered Monday morning to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Milwaukee's Italian Community Center, including Mayor Tom Barrett and Gov. Scott Walker, but perhaps the highlight of Monday's breakfast was when a little girl stepped up to the podium.

"So are you complaining? Or are you doing? What are you doing to change your community?" asked Jayda Cole, as she recited her original poem.

Jayda is just 8-years old, and she's already thinking about what it means to honor Dr. King's life and legacy. 

"How I wrote my poem is that I thought about it and started talking about what are you doing, what Dr. King said," she explained. 

As she addressed a room full of adults, she raised some important questions about Milwaukee's future.

"What are you doing to stop the violence in our communities, what are you doing to make sure my future stays bright? If your answer is nothing, then DO something about it," said Jayda. 

Jayda is one of three young spoken word artists honored at Monday, each young person spoke about Dr. King's spirit of collaboration. 

"Dr. King's greatest success came from his spirit of collaboration, his ability to bring together people of different races, of different nationalities," said Rep. Mandela Barnes (D- Milwaukee). 

Many hope the spirit of collaboration will help relieve racial tension in the city.

"We know that they Metropolitan Area in particular is very segregated, and I think that underscores a challenge, that we have to do a better job," said Mayor Tom Barrett (D-Milwaukee). 

It takes a community-wide effort to combat segregation, but Jayda says she's ready to do her part. 

"I'm determined to build a better tomorrow, for me, my family, and my community," said Jayda.