| 1/14/2009 |
State marks Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with weekend of celebration
STATE HOUSE – The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission will celebrate the life and legacy of the slain civil rights leader this weekend with a series of events in Providence.
On Monday, Jan. 19, the commission will offer the 22nd annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. beginning at 4 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 475 Cranston St.
The official holiday commemoration, which is open to the public, will include remarks by state, federal and religious leaders and a number of musical presentations. The Celebration Address will be presented by Dr. John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design.
Rep. Joseph S. Almeida (D-Dist. 12, Providence), chairman of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission, will serve as master of ceremonies. Gov. Donald L. Carcieri will bring greetings from the state and commission member Shirley Cook will offer the official celebration welcome. Former senator J. Clement Cicilline, member and past chairman of the commission, will recognize elected officials. The benediction will be given by the Rev. Dr. Carl Balark, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The Randall Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and a member of the commission, will offer remarks on the centennial celebration of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
The event will feature musical performances by the Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, Hannah Gibbs of the Lincoln Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Pond Street Baptist Church Choir. Refreshments will follow.
The program will also include awards for community members who have made outstanding contributions toward making Dr. King’s vision a reality. House Majority Leader Gordon D. Fox will receive the Living the Dream Award. Leader Fox, who represents the Mount Hope, Summit and Blackstone neighborhoods of Providence, put himself through college and law school, built his own successful law practice and has risen through the ranks of the House since he was first elected in 1992. The first African-American to serve as Majority Leader in either chamber of the General Assembly and the first African-American to serve as chairman of the House Finance Committee, he has been a leader in fighting for affordable housing, renewable energy, the workplace smoking ban, good government bills, mental health services and many other issues affecting Rhode Islanders.
Pauline Perkins-Moye will receive the Community Recognition Award. For more than four decades, Perkins-Moye has worked and volunteered for a myriad of social service agencies and organizations, both on a professional and a volunteer basis, to assist the poor and the struggling in Newport and the surrounding communities. She serves on the boards of many of those organizations, and is recognized throughout the area as being a tireless advocate for the disadvantaged.
The awards will be presented by commissioners Frank Walker and Alphonsa Cook.
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration is one of several major events conducted under the auspices of the State Holiday Commission, which was formed to commemorate the day and also to promote educational efforts throughout the year.
In addition to the celebration on Monday, the commission is hosting free workshops for youth on Saturday. Jan. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., also at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The workshops will be open to all youth who want to attend. The four workshops will include: “Youth Empowerment,” facilitated by Guy Salesman; “Economics,” facilitated by the Rev. Matthew Kai; “Non-Violence,” facilitated by Dr. Marion Orr and “Community Leadership” facilitated by Deacon John Strodder. The program includes a box lunch and a musical performance by Music One.
Ebenezer Baptist Church will also make its 11 a.m. Sunday service a Celebration Service in tribute to Dr. King and his special call for community service.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Waterman, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2457 |
LEGISLATIVE INFO
