LYNN — Next Tuesday’s equal rights forum at the Ford School will celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, and examine how his legacy is growing and encompassing ongoing equality struggles, said program participants.
“It’s a chance to talk about how we move forward and how far we have come,” said Operation Bootstrap Director Edward Tirrell.
Adult literacy agency Bootstrap and six other local organizations are sponsoring the forum from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tirrell described King as one of his heroes and recalled watching in horror as a college student in 1968 as television networks broadcast images of King’s assassination.
“I remember his death very vividly,” he said.
Tirrell said January events marking King’s birth typically revolve around his legacy and importance in American history. He said the Ford forum provides an opportunity to discuss how King’s teachings and work apply to current conflicts and causes.
The forum is focused around the theme — “how far have we come in obtaining equal rights for all — where do we go from here?”
Event participants include representatives from Bootstrap as well as the Highlands Coalition, New Lynn Coalition, Haitian Elders Action League, Community Connections and Neighbor to Neighbor.
“From the abolitionist movement and labor organizing to current struggles with poverty, racism, disenfranchisement and civic pride, the forum will make Lynn residents more aware of their city’s accomplishments and potential for the future,” the groups stated in a press release announcing the forum.
Organizer and Haitian native William Joseph said forum speakers will highlight changes in Lynn politics that sent African-American, Southeast Asian and Latino elected officials to city government.
“That’s a good trend — we want to keep it going forward,” Joseph said.
Joseph has lived in Lynn for 17 years and owns Global Computer Learning Center. He said King’s legacy and the forum’s theme underscore the opportunities available for Lynn residents and Americans.
“We want to make sure every single ethnic group enjoys the same rights: That’s what makes America,” he said.
Tirrell said the forum’s theme also speaks to inequities that King would have wanted to see addressed, including the need for training and education for Lynn adults.
“It’s desperately needed,” he said.
The Ford School is on Hollingsworth Street in the Highlands.
Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].
