Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. legacy and the day honoring him was celebrated in the city of Lynn at two separate events on Monday.
The first event took place at the Knights of Columbus with the Community Minority Cultural Center’s (CMCC) 33rd Annual Breakfast. The Knights of Columbus’ motto is “In service to one, in service to all,” which was fitting for such an event in celebration of the service, life, and birth of MLK Jr. Darrell Murkison acted as the master of ceremony and he spoke about his hopes for the city of Lynn in the time to come.
Lynn School Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler was the keynote speaker and he spoke about togetherness and the challenges we face in education. He spoke about being someone else’s hero and the importance of being selfless at times. The overall program did justice for the legacy of both the CMCC and MLK Jr. The second event was hosted by the city of Lynn and took place at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute.
The purpose of the event was to encourage community service and to provide an outlet for the community service. Community service is embedded in the legacy of MLK Jr. Hundreds of young people, from all races, came together to show interest in MLK Jr.’s legacy and to put that interest into work.
Several non-profits in the city participated and the turnout was inspiring, especially on such a cold and icy day.
It is simply amazing that we celebrate a man who saw value in everyone. MLK Jr. was more than just good quotes or just a good public speaker and some of his biggest messages to the black community came through pictures of him with his family.
Togetherness starts at home. Values are built at home. Habits are formed at home. Blessed to have had such a wonderful human being exist before my time and to have his message still live on.
We have a diverse city and I see it every day. I see it in our schools, and I see it on the streets.
Community is all about unity. MLK Jr. gave his life for civil rights and human rights. We must continue his dream. We must continue speaking about his dream. We must continue acting on his dream.
I hope others were also inspired by this awesome day of reflection and action.
Michael Satterwhite is a member of the Lynn School Committee.
