middletowneye: 31st ANNUAL GREATER MIDDLETOWN REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SERVICE RETURNS TO AN IN-PERSON EVENT ON MONDAY, 1-15-24 AT THE FIRST CHURCH, 190 COURT STREET MIDDLETOWN 12:30 P.M.

31^ST ANNUAL THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. OF GREATER MIDDLETOWN ANNUAL SERVICE RETURNS LIVE IN-PERSON EVENT ON MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2024AT THE FIRST CHURCH IN MIDLETOWN AT 12:30 P.M.

Article By Frank LoGiudice

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee of Greater Middletown will be presenting the 31^st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, on January 15, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. for a live in- person service in honor of Dr. King at the First Church located at 190 Church Street in Middletown

Who was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Why do we honor him with a national holiday?

Dr. King was a civil rights leader who championed equal rights for all and that “All men are created equal,” according to the article “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” from the Department of Defense Education Activity(https://www.dodea.edu/dodeaCelebrates/MLK.cfm) website.

He began his quest for civil rights in 1955 with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and continued his path for social justice during the turbulent 1960’s until he was assassinated in 1968 according to the article “Martin Luther King, Jr.” from U.S. History.org.

Two words that could describe who Dr. King was “equality and nonviolence” according to U.S. History.org. Why? He was a proponent of nonviolent means to overcome the racial discrimination and injustices of the time. Dr. King “created change with organized sit-ins, marches, and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality,” according to the “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” article from the Dodea.edu website.

Dr. King created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference whose purpose was the “advancement of rights for African Americans,” from U.S. History.org. In April 1963 he planned a protest in Birmingham, Alabama because according to Dr. King this was “the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States" during this time period. He organized peaceful protests against the racial injustices there. Dr. King was jailed numerous times in Birmingham for his peaceful protests against the racial discrimination towards African Americans according to History.com

On August 28, 1963, the Reverend Dr. King organized the “March on Washington” which ended at the Lincoln Memorial. The goal of this march was for “Jobs and Freedom… to shed light on the injustices African Americans continued to face across the country according to the History.com website article “Martin Luther King Jr.” This peaceful demonstration attracted approximately 200,000-300,000 people and is considered a milestone in the “American civil rights movement and a factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” according to the same article. Also, the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The March on Washington was where Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have A Dream Speech.”

In 1964, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on combatting racial discrimination and was the youngest person ever to receive this award according the Dodea.edu website article “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.”

In 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a U.S. federal holiday in honor of Dr. King. It was first celebrated in 1986 and it is observed on the third Monday of January annually according to History.com’s article “Martin Luther King, Jr.”

This year will mark the 29th anniversary of the National Day of Service in honor of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. according to the Dodea.edu website. It states, “This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. ¨It also noted that the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday should be a “Day On, Not A Day Off.”

Why is the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. still important in 2024?

According to the Reverend Alan Marshall II the Youth Works Chair of the Middlesex County NAACP stated “Dr. King was more than a prolific speaker and social justice advocate; he was a prophet who spoke about the possibility of equality at a time when it didn’t seem possible.”

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee of Greater Middletown will be presenting the 31^th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, on January 15, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. for an in person service in honor of Dr. King. It will be held at the First Church 190 Court Street in Middletown. The keynote speaker will be the Reverend Robyn Anderson of the Cross Street AME Zion Church in Middletown. The Master of Ceremonies will be the Reverend Alan Marshall II of the Shiloh Christian Church in Middletown.

According to President of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee Ms. Britany Hardy stated,” This is our 1st year back in person since the pandemic; however, we are not having the march this year but will look to resume it next year.” Admission is free and open to the public.

In 2022 Hardy commented, "This program is our key fundraiser in honoring Dr. King’s dream for equality and his articulated stance on education. It also allows us to provide financial support to upcoming high school graduates continuing on to higher education". Hardy further stated, "We as a community have an opportunity to support and help our youth become positive, productive members of society, who in return will give back and help to educate and support others."

The MLK, Jr. Scholarship Committee is asking residents to make a contribution to this fund. People may mail their donations to P.O. Box 282, Middletown, Connecticut 06457. For more information, please email mlkscholarship@yahoo.com.