Celebrating the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Angela Davis, political activist
NYC First Lady Charline McGray and Mayor Bill de Blasio
Photos: Seitu Oronde
Rev. Michael Walrond
Rudy Crew, Medgar Evers College president
Harlem
Martin Luther King III with Rev. Dr. Serene Jones
Brooklyn
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he annual commemoration of the Martin Luther King holiday—said to be the largest MLK celebration in New York City—took place again at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn. Co-presented by the Brooklyn Borough President and Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, the celebration featured a keynote address by author, professor, and activist Angela Davis. In addition, music was provided by José James and the BCCC Singers from the Christian Cultural Center, and a free screening of the documentary Free Angela Davis and All Political Prisoners. Other speakers included Sen. Charles E. Schumer; Rudy Crew, president of Medgar Evers College and NYC Council Speaker Melisa Mark-Viverito. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams served as emcee. The BAMcafé featured “Picture the Dream,” an exhibition of artwork inspired by Dr. King’s message of equality, created by students from NYCHA Saratoga Village Community Center.
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The Positive Community February 2014
Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President
R
eflecting on what the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday means during the annual service at Riverside Church honoring the fallen civil rights leader, his son, Martin Luther King III remarked, "When we think about a holiday usually it means pause, relaxing. This holiday is not about pausing and relaxing. It's about getting engaged. We did not achieve the realization of the dream last year and so every January, if we do not achieve it in the previous year we start anew.” In addition to the younger King, speakers included the Rev. Michael Walrond, senior pastor of the historic First Corinthian Baptist Church and Dream Center, who was the featured speaker; Riverside’s senior minister emeritus, the Rev. James A. Forbes Jr.; Attorney William Wachtel, founder of progressive policy think-tank the Drum Major Institute and the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, president of Union Theological Seminary. The theme of the celebration, which was held on Sunday morning, January 19, was “Realizing the Dream: A Call to Conscience “and featured a performance of “Let Justice Roll” by Mark Miller, accompanied by a mass choir including members of the Riverside Inspirational Choir and the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble. Dr. King gave his historic “Beyond Vietnam” speech condemning the “triple evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism” at Riverside Church on April 4, 1967. www.thepositivecommunity.com