WEEKEND: Martin Luther King Jr. Events
Friday, January 14, 2011
Civic and government leaders from across the state will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout the long weekend with a series of celebrations, youth workshops and a service project that will revitalize one Providence middle school.
Those organizing different events throughout the weekend include the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission, the Council of Churches and City Year Rhode Island, the federally-funded AmeriCorps program based in Providence.
Community Awards On Monday
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission will hold its event at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Providence beginning at 4:00 on Monday. Commission Chairman and State Rep Joseph S. Almeida will serve as master of ceremonies and a number of high profile politicians, including Governor Chafee and Mayor Taveras, are expected to be on hand.
In a press release sent out Thursday, the Commission said it will award Lela M. Morgan, Vice President, Academic Affairs at the Community College of Rhode Island, and Keith W. Stokes, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation with the Living the Dream award. The former professional baseball player Davey Lopes will receive the Lifetime Achievement award.
Carrying On The Dream
The Ebenezer Baptist Church will also hold youth workshops on Saturday beginning at 9:00am. The activities will cover topics such as youth empowerment, community leadership and nonviolence, all issues King was passionate about.
In addition to the events being at held at the Baptist Church, the Council of Churches says Sandra Powell will be the keynote speaker for the 28th annual Dr. Martin Luther King's Scholarship Breakfast on Monday. The Theme is, “Behold, How Wonderful and Beautiful is it when Brothers and Sisters (The Christian Community) Co-exists.”
Major Service Projects
City Year Rhode Island will host its yearly Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day service project at the Gilbert Stuart Middle School in Providence. The largest service project in the state, City Year’s annual even runs on the theme that Dr. King would want Monday to be a day on to serve, not a day off.
The series of projects will consist of painting murals at Gilbert Stuart Middle School and the West End Community Center; providing activities for seniors at the Elmwood Adult Day Health Care Center; and participating in courageous conversations about Dr. King's legacy and ongoing social justice issues.
The event begins at 9:00 a.m. on Monday and those interested in volunteering are asked to contact Noah Brown at [email protected].
