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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Walk & Program
January 15 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
The 35th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Walk will be held Monday, Jan. 15, followed by a program at The First Church in Belfast, UCC.
Event organizers shared the following invitation in a news release: “Gather at 4:30 p.m. in front the Belfast Post Office, and walk together to the First Church in Belfast, UCC, 104 Church St. for a celebration of Dr. King’s work. Join us in the Sanctuary (at approximately 4:45 p.m.) for a program to honor both our history and the ongoing work to create a truly inclusive and beloved community here in Waldo County,”.
The King Center shared the following quote: “What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote these words in his last book, ‘Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?’, which was published in 1967. The ideals shared within the quote are worth exploring to understand the connection between power, justice, and love.
This year’s speaker will be Dustin Ward, a racial equity and reconciliation advocate who has worked with the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office and several Maine towns on equity and inclusion issues. He will address Dr. King’s question, “Where do we go from here: chaos or community?”.
Also participating this year will be a children’s choir made up of students from Troy Howard Middle School and The First Church, UCC, led by Marty Kelly, director of Maine Voices for Peace. Belfast Community TV is collaborating on filming this event.
Organizers are sponsoring a Poster Project created by the Graphic Arts students at Waldo County Technical Center, and their posters will be displayed during January by merchants in downtown Belfast.
This event is sponsored by the MLK Jr. Day Planning Committee. For a Zoom link, or further information, email BelfastMLKDay@gmail.com.
The snow date is Saturday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m.