West Windsor Human Relations Council
Celebration of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
“A Time to Break Silence”
Location: Windsor Athletic Club, 99 Clarksville Road
Date & Time: Monday, January 16, 2017, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The West Windsor Township Human Relations Council will hold its annual celebration of Dr. King’s birthday on Monday, January 16, 2017, with a community conversation and action plan using the theme from one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s famous speeches, “Time to Break Silence.” The goal of the event is to listen and engage the community voices, especially students and youth, to create peace, unity, and understanding in our multicultural community using Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s action plan termed “Break Silence”. As Dr. King fought for understanding across racial lines, we will work to continue creating a “Beloved Community” in West Windsor and beyond.
Parents, teachers, faith leaders, seniors and civic leaders, are all urged to attend and participate in this community dialogue.
In April of 1967, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech at Riverside Church, New York City entitled “Beyond Vietnam — A Time to Break Silence”. In this speech, he emphasized, “We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless… This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. We must, with positive action seek to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity, and injustice and out of the wounds of a frail world, new systems of justice and equality are being born”.
In speaking of Dr. King, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh stated, “in our very diverse community, we have many opportunities and many challenges. It is the responsibility of each individual to work towards building a positive and engaging community; to listen, hear, understand and show respect despite our differences and similarities”. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his lifetime fighting for these values so everyone would have the opportunity to achieve a secure, rewarding and happy life.”
It is time for us to come together in a collaborative effort, and with compassion and kindness to build inclusive communities. “Let’s work together, help each other and we can be the bridges to create beloved communities which Dr. Martin Luther King envisioned,” stated Tasneem Sultan, Chair of the West Windsor Township Human Relations Council.
Highlights of the program include a panel discussion on breaking the silence, getting more engaged and creating a culture of peace, tolerance and understanding in our diverse Beloved Community of West Windsor.
Our Esteemed panelists include: Reverend Dr. Cornell Edmonds, Interim Pastor, Church of the Covenant,The Rev. Jan Willem van der Werff, The First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, Faraz Khan, A Community Activist, and Amman Singh Seehra, Esq. Founder of the ONE Project, Northeast Director of SALDEF.
Mike Jackson, History teacher at Community Middle School of WW-P School District, will facilitate the Panel and community conversation.
The program will also include a segment of spoken words of poetry by the students of WW-P School District.
The program is free and open to the public of all ages. A reception will immediately follow the program. For more information regarding the celebration, contact the West Windsor Township at 609-799-2400 or emailtasneemqsultan@gmail.com