19th Annual MLK Celebration Set For Woonsocket

Woonsocket RI

08 January, 2020

10:45 AM

Description

WOONSOCKET, RI - Four days of events celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and discussing the racial inequities in Woonsocket will take place over the holiday weekend. The schedule includes a banquet, a panel discussion on structural racism in society, an interfaith service and a memorial service. This is the 19th year of the Woonsocket MLK Celebration that promotes the theme: "We are Listening. We are Watching." "This year's events are designed to address things we have heard and seen in our community that are of great concern," said Thomas Gray, Vice-Chair of the MLK Community Committee. "We hope people attend to have these important conversations." Emma Dandy, Chair of the MLK Community Committee, said: "We want our community to know about our past so we can have a better future." All events are open to the public and those other than the Friday night banquet are free. The weekend kicks off on the evening of Jan. 17 with the J.W. Hinson Scholarship Banquet at Millrace, on South Main Street. Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Womazetta Jones will keynote the event. Tickets are $30. They can be purchased at St. James Baptist and from committee members. Proceeds will go toward two scholarships for high school seniors who have made a strong contribution to the community. The next day, there will be a Rhode Island Foundation training session called "The Groundwater Approach: building a practical understanding of structural racism." That event will be at Millrace and is intended to be a lively and participatory session that explores modern-day racial inequality. A three-hour training session beginning at noon will be followed by a debrief session until 5. Child care will be available on site. On Jan. 19, an interfaith worship service will be at the St. James Baptist Church at 3 p.m. Pastor Vincent L. Thompson will lead the service that is open to all. The church is located at 340 South Main Street. The weekend concludes with a memorial service at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20 at the MLK Memorial Sculpture Garden on South Main Street with words from local and state officials. A pot luck community conversation will follow at Millrace. "We're hoping that the community responds in full force to this year's events, which are going to be very exciting," shares Brenda Figueroa, member of the MLK Community Committee. Go here for more information about this year's events.