Peterborough MLK Day event to focus on ‘justice and injustice’

The 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. day celebration in All Saints’ Church Reynolds Hall.

The 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr. day celebration in All Saints’ Church Reynolds Hall. STAFF FILE PHOTO BY JESSECA TIMMONS

By HARRIET DICICCO

For the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

Published: 01-16-2025 12:03 PM

Eight years ago, a concerned group of people formed the Hancock Community Conversations on Race. The group began meeting weekly in person to discuss a wide range of issues related to race, affecting both individuals and communities.

When members realized there was no local event honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., they took on the challenge of creating one that would involve participants from many parts of the community.

This year, the event will be held on King’s official holiday, Monday, Jan. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon in Reynolds Hall, 52 Concord St., Peterborough, across from All Saints’ Church. Parking is available behind the building. A free brunch will be served from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m.

Each year, the Community Conversations planning group selects a quote from King to guide the program. This year’s quote is: “... the tension which we face in America today… (is) a tension between justice and injustice.”

This year’s program will feature speakers focusing on the past, present and future. The Monadnock Center for History and Culture will highlight the lives and contributions of people of color who lived in the region, drawing on years of work by citizen archivists to reclaim a forgotten history.

The Badger Company, a New Hampshire-based business, will share its efforts to promote diversity and equity. State Rep. Jonah Wheeler will discuss relevant bills and actions in the state. Representatives from area nonprofits will also be present to offer ways for attendees to get involved in making the state more welcoming. The program will conclude with music by the Grand Monadnock Youth Choir.

Elementary school students from Hancock and Peterborough have created table and room decorations for the event.

The event is free and open to the public. For information about Hancock Community Conversations on Race, send email to hancockconversations@gmail.com.

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