Are We Building Dr. King’s “Beloved Community?”

Coach George Bowles, far left, conducted a youth workshop during the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Service on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ in Newburgh, NY. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.
Coach George Bowles, far left, conducted a youth workshop during the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Service on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ in Newburgh, NY. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.

NEWBURGH – The life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was celebrated for his contribution to the advancement of civil rights on Monday, the federal holiday, by the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley. While many planned events were either canceled or postponed due to the inclement weather, Sadie Tallie, BHC President, felt it vitally important to hold the event as scheduled.

The annual event took place at the Mount Carmel Church of Christ in the Town of Newburgh, with the theme “Our Beloved Community…Going Forward.”

The day long program focused on Dr. King’s “beloved community”, which to him was a global vision, in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth; poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it.

Shawna Newkirk-Reynolds leads a youth workshop during the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Service on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ in Newburgh, NY. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.
Shawna Newkirk-Reynolds leads a youth workshop during the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Service on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ in Newburgh, NY. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.

The day of learning consisted of workshops for all ages, a renewal through a “singspiration segment” and a panel discussion on developing our “Beloved Community” with local leaders.
City of Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey made a comparison between Dr. King’s work with sanitation workers and the current government shutdown. He viewed the day’s celebration as an opportunity to help those affected by the shutdown.

“If I didn’t get paid after the Christmas holiday, shortly after the New Year, I would’ve been in a really tight situation financially,” said Harvey. “I can’t sit here on Martin Luther King Day and not even mention it, or not even have some sort of empathy and compassion for those 800,000 federal workers.”

A panel discussion was moderated by Tiombe Tallie Carter, that included Cynthia Gilkeson, Pastor Ed Benson, Bishop Robert Diaz and Pastor Mary Lou as part of the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Service on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ in Newburgh, NY. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.
A panel discussion was moderated by Tiombe Tallie Carter, that included Cynthia Gilkeson, Pastor Ed Benson, Bishop Robert Diaz and Pastor Mary Lou as part of the Black History Committee of the Hudson Valley Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Service on Monday, January 21, 2019 at Mt. Carmel Church of Christ in Newburgh, NY. Hudson Valley Press/CHUCK STEWART, JR.

The panel discussion that followed, moderated by Tiombe Tallie Carter, discussed ways the community could act today, using the principles of Dr. King, to bring about social and economic change, equality and realize King’s beloved community.

Click Here to view Photo Gallery

Print Friendly, PDF & Email