By Kimberly Hill, member of CCHRC
On Wednesday, January 16, 2013, the Concord-Carlisle Human Rights Council will honor Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy during its 20th annual celebration event. Choruses of all ages gather with the community to lift their voices in celebration of MLK, Jr., singing folksongs, spirituals, and gospel songs. This year’s event will be held from 7-8:30pm at The Fenn School (auditorium), 516 Monument Street, Concord. Performing musical selections this year are the Fenn Treble Chorus, the Holy Tabernacle Church Women’s Ministry Choir, the Willard 5th Grade Chorus, the CCHS a Capella Chorus, and the Boston Children’s Chorus.
Created a federal holiday in 1983, Congress further designated the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a national day of service in 1994. It was hoped that people in communities across the nation would engage in activities and projects that would “strengthen communities, empower individuals, bridge barriers and create solutions” to some of the nation’s most pressing problems. Spending his own life in the service of others, Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” This question bears repeating daily, particularly as we ready to march forward into a new year rife with the same social issues King gave his life pressing the nation to address. From issues of justice and empowerment, love and peace, to issues of equality and poverty, there is much work to be done.
As we move forward into 2013 and think about the things we’d like to see changed, let us consider how we might better serve our neighbors and our communities. Let us answer King’s question with a plan of action that might meet another’s tangible need or need of the spirit. Come, join us for an evening that promises to lift the spirit and inspire hope.