Tolerance, respect mark Stoneham Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration
Published on January 16th, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - Cheryl Sanders recalls first moving to Stoneham close to three decades ago and finding herself amongst just a handful of African-American families living within town.
But as she travels about Stoneham today, she sees a diversifying population, a welcome sight for the North Carolina native.
According to Sanders, one of the organizers for the town’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, she believes that Stoneham has embraced the spirit of tolerance and respect espoused by the slain Civil Rights Era leader.
And she hopes that message will be spread amongst the community next Monday, during the town’s eighth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. event at Town Hall.
“This will be our eighth year and it’s a program that focuses on celebrating peace and tolerance in the community,” the event organizer explained. “Everybody is invited to participate and attend.”
“I really feel that Stoneham is becoming a multicultural community and we need everybody to feel at home and welcome,” Sanders said. “Even if people aren’t ethnic, everybody should feel pride in their community and that they’re welcome in their neighborhood.”
Scheduled to begin next Monday at 12 p.m., the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration will be held in the downstairs conference room in Town Hall. The event is expected to last two hours.
As is tradition, the annual program will begin with the singing of a Civil Rights Era song and then be followed by some brief remarks by event organizers.
“Our guest speaker this year has volunteered and he’s a postal employee in Stoneham,” said Sanders. “He approached me and said, ‘I want to speak and say how I feel.’”
“He feels very strongly about Martin Luther King and he wants to share his ideas. That’s the kind of spirit we’re looking for. It doesn’t have to be formal,” the longtime Stoneham resident added.
For the first time this year, the program will also feature the awarding of a Martin Luther King, Jr. award, which former Selectman and event volunteer Anthony Kennedy has arranged.
As has become customary, the program will also feature a roundtable discussion amongst participants about the ideals espoused the Civil Rights Era leader.
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