Councils Observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In January, councils observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and responded to King’s idea that “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.” Two Arizona Humanities grantees, the City of Mesa and the Mesa-East Valley MLK Committee, celebrated King in a parade of community groups, businesses, churches, bands, and regional cities that ended with a joyous festival. Recalling King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Georgia Humanities shared We Share the Dream: King’s Beloved Community from the National Civil and Human Rights Center, its virtual exhibition about his life and influence on the struggle for civil and human rights.

Long-standing work in the council community advancing civil rights continues. Mass Humanities has supported the Clemente Course for more than 20 years; this month the program was featured in the national broadcast of A Reckoning in Boston, a documentary that followed two Clemente students as they navigate the violence, racism, and gentrification that threaten their place in the city. Humanities Montana continues to host a virtual series called Montana Conversations that ranges in topics from building bridges with Muslim American populations to veteran experiences–one conversation featured Dr. Kitty Oliver, who spoke about race and change across cultures and generations.

photo credit: Mesa-East Valley MLK Committee